Diphtheria - Annual Epidemiological Report for 2021

Sixty cases of diphtheria due to toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae (n=29) or C. ulcerans (n=31), and one case with unknown pathogen were reported to ECDC in 2021. The highest proportion of C. ulcerans cases was among adults aged 65 years and above. C. diphtheriae cases were more common in younger age groups. Among C. diphtheriae cases, 31% were reported as imported. Vaccination status was available for 44% of all cases. Seventy percent of the cases with known vaccination status were not vaccinated or were vaccinated with an unknown number of doses. Vaccination with the diphtheria toxoid vaccine is the only effective method of preventing the toxin-mediated disease. Achieving and sustaining high vaccination coverage in the population is critical for preventing toxigenic diphtheria from causing serious or fatal illness.