LAUSR

The number of sporadic cases of diphtheria in Pakistan is rising fast, as reported by an advisory issued by the country’s National Institute of Health (NIH), and health care professionals are alarmed [1]. By December 2022, 39 children and teenagers were reported dead, rising to over 45 by January 2023 [2,3]. Thirty-nine additional probable disease cases were reported just in one week of December 2022 [4]. The number of existing cases remain unclear due to the country’s inadequate health care infrastructure. The NIH recommends a three-dose diphtheria vaccine in a pentavalent form and a fourth booster dose for all children as part of the Expanded Program of Immunization in Pakistan [1]. The country’s vaccination rates have increased steadily over the decade, but the COVID-19 lockdown reversed this trend. In 2020, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlighted a seven per cent drop in childhood vaccination rates in Pakistan, increasing the number of unprotected children to 1.4 million [5]. Recent floods in the country also exacerbated the problem [3].