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Written question asked by Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat) on Wednesday, 19 April 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 4 May 2023. It was answered by Lord Markham (Conservative) on Friday, 19 May 2023 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Diphtheria

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the incidence and impact of diphtheria in the UK.

Answer

There is an effective vaccine against diphtheria which in the United Kingdom is offered as part of the routine childhood programme. Vaccination offers high levels of protection against symptomatic disease, meaning that it is a very rare infection in the UK where vaccination coverage is high. The risk of diphtheria to the general UK public therefore remains very low.

There was an increase in the number of cases of diphtheria detected among people seeking asylum in the last quarter of 2022, with a total of 73 confirmed cases of diphtheria among this population in England in 2022 and one case confirmed so far in 2023. The majority of these cases were detected in people arriving via small boat Channel crossings. There have been no linked cases in workers in asylum seeker settings or linked cases in the general public.

The UK Health Security Agency, Home Office and NHS England are working with local partners to put measures in place to manage the risk of diphtheria in this population.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL7295
Session
2022-23
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Diphtheria
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk