Diphtheria toxoid adverse effects

Adverse effects to diphtheria toxoid include mild to moderate tenderness, erythema, and induration at the injection site. 

Supposed neurological adverse effects of diphtheria immunization have been reported, but a causal connection was unclear (11). Of five cases of neurological complications after diphtheria or diphtheria-tetanus immunizations two were classified as vaccine-induced pohomyehtis the other three could be traced back to a hjrperergic reaction to diphtheria toxoids in the cerebral vessels (12). 

Eight children developed urticaria within 30 minutes after administration of a diphtheria -I- tetanus -I- acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine that contained gelatin as a stabilizer (38). None of the children had anti-gelatin IgE, and only two had detectable concentrations of antitoxoid IgE to diphtheria and pertussis toxoids. No methods to measure anti-thiomersal and anti-alum IgE were available. The authors recommended the development of such methods, which could improve research into the causality of adverse effects of this sort. 

For unimmunized adults, a complete three-dose series of diphtheria toxoid should be administered, with the first two doses given at least 4 weeks apart and the third dose given 6 to 12 months after the second. The combined preparation diphtheria-tetanus (Td) is recommended in adults because it contains less diphtheria toxoid than the pediatric dose and is associated with fewer reactions to the diphtheria component. It also includes the recommended tetanus toxoid, but it omits the pertussis component, which is not used in patients older than 7 years of age. All adults should receive booster doses of Td every 10 years. Adverse effects of diphtheria toxoid include mild to moderate tenderness, erythema, and induration at the injection site. Systemic reactions occur very rarely. ... 

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