Diphtheria Immunity Test

The diphtheria immunization is usually administered to children between the ages of 11 and 12 in the form of a booster dose of vaccine containing tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap).

The Diphtheria Immunity Test is used to assess the amount of antibody response to the diphtheria toxoid vaccine and to help determine if an individual has immunity to diphtheria (caused by a bacterium called Corynebacterium diphtheriae) following immunization.

Determination of vaccine response should be performed at least three weeks following immunization.

Diphtheria is most often spread through person to person contact but it can also be airborne.

Symptoms of diphtheria include:

• Fever/chills
• Fatigue
• Blue skin coloring
• Sore Throat
• Hoarseness
• Cough
• Headache
• Difficulty swallowing/breathing
• Foul smelling and bloodstained nasal discharge

Additionally, after a few days of infection, diphtheria can kill healthy tissue in the respiratory system. The dead tissues will form a thick gray coating in the back of the mouth, referred to as a “pseudomembrane.”