Diphtheria is a serious disease that usually begins with a sore throat and a raised temperature (fever). It can quickly lead to breathing problems and may damage the heart and nerves. In severe cases, it may cause death. Diphtheria spreads by coughs and sneezes or close contact with an infected person.
Diphtheria is rare in the UK. However, it is possible to catch it while travelling to other countries.
Before the diphtheria vaccine was introduced to the UK, there were up to 70,000 cases of diphtheria and up to 5,000 deaths a year.
Symptoms of diphtheria
In some countries, infection of the skin (cutaneous diphtheria) is more common.
Cutaneous diphtheria can cause:
Tetanus is a disease that affects the body’s nerves, causing muscle spasms and breathing problems. It is a severe disease that can lead to serious health problems if not treated quickly. It’s caused by germs found in soil or manure that enter the body through open cuts or burns. Tetanus cannot spread from person to person.
Symptoms of tetanus
Pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, is an infection that affects the lungs and airways. Symptoms tend to develop in stages, starting with mild cold-like symptoms. These can be followed by more severe symptoms before an improvement. Whooping cough spreads easily by breathing in tiny droplets that are released into the air when people with the disease cough or sneeze.
Whooping cough can cause long bursts of coughing and choking, which make it hard to breathe. The ‘whoop’ noise is caused by gasping for breath after each period of coughing. Young babies don’t always do this, which can make it difficult to recognise the disease.
Symptoms of whooping cough can last for two to three months. Babies under the age of one are at the greatest risk of serious illness and are at risk of dying from the disease.
Before the whooping cough vaccine was introduced, the average number of suspected cases reported each year in the UK was 120,000. In the year before the vaccine was introduced, 92 children died.
Symptoms of whooping cough
The first signs of whooping cough are like the symptoms of a cold.
After about a week, you will notice:
Polio is a virus that can affect your nerves. It can cause permanent muscle weakness, usually in the legs. If polio affects the chest muscles or the brain, it can lead to very serious health problems.
You can catch polio if you come into contact with the poo of someone who is infected, or by breathing in droplets from their coughs or sneezes. In 1988, polio paralysed more than 1000 children worldwide every day.
Before the polio vaccine was introduced, there were as many as 8,000 cases of polio in the UK. Thanks to the polio vaccination's ongoing success, the UK hasn't seen a natural polio infection in over 40 years. The last case was reported in 1984. This is why it is important to vaccinate to stop diseases such as polio from coming back.
Symptoms of polio
Most people will have no symptoms.
Some people get mild, flu-like symptoms, such as:
Rarely, polio can lead to more serious symptoms that affect the brain and nerves, such as weakness in your muscles (paralysis), usually in the legs. This can happen over hours or days.
If the paralysis affects the muscles used for breathing, it can be life-threatening.
Most people will recover and movement will slowly come back over the next few weeks. Some people can be left with a permanent disability.
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. It can lead to life-threatening infections and severe liver disease.
The hepatitis B virus is found in the blood and some other body fluids of infected people. It can be passed from mother to baby during birth. Children and adults can also get hepatitis B from contact with infected body fluids. It's common for babies and children who get hepatitis B to have long-lasting infections.
Babies born to mothers with hepatitis B are given additional vaccines at birth to reduce the risk of them getting the infection.
Over 250 million people around the world have hepatitis B. New cases of hepatitis B have increased in Wales in the last few years. In 2023 there were over 260 new cases. Many more people might have the virus without knowing it.
Symptoms of hepatitis B
Hib is a type of bacteria called Haemophilus influenzae type b. It can cause serious illnesses such as blood poisoning (septicaemia), lung infections (pneumonia) and meningitis (an infection of the covering around the brain). If not treated quickly, these illnesses can be very dangerous.
The bacteria can spread through the air when people cough or sneeze. The Hib vaccine only protects against the type of meningitis caused by Hib bacteria. It does not protect against other types of meningitis, so it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of the disease.
Following introduction of the Hib vaccine, cases in babies under one year of age fell by over 95%.
Symptoms of meningitis caused by Hib infection
Babies and toddlers
Very young babies may not have a fever. Their temperature could be normal or low.
Children and adults
Source: © meningitisnow.org