Unvaccinated Brits issued pressing warning over ‘worst outbreak in a long time’ strikes
Unvaccinated UK travellers face urgent health warnings as Australia battles its worst diphtheria outbreak in decades, with childhood jab rates falling at home
Brits planning a getaway have been warned over a rise in diphtheria cases(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Brits planning a getaway have been slapped with an urgent travel warning over a highly contagious infection that causes a gruesome “bull neck” symptom. Australia is currently battling its most severe diphtheria crisis in decades, which has already claimed a life.
Cases have been skyrocketing since late 2025, with a massive spike hitting in February this year. Holidaymakers are now being told to double-check their jab status before jetting off to Australia.
The nasty bug is a highly infectious bacterial disease that targets the nose, throat, or skin. If left untreated, it can turn fatal, especially in children. In severe cases, victims develop a horribly swollen throat and neck – dubbed a “bull neck” -which makes breathing and swallowing a nightmare.
The illness jumps from person to person through cough and sneeze droplets, or via direct contact with infected skin ulcers.
While the UK offers a highly effective vaccine routine, giving babies a six-in-one jab followed by boosters at ages three and 14, health chiefs are sounding the alarm over tanking uptake rates.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) has warned that plummeting childhood vaccination rates could trigger a wave of preventable outbreaks closer to home.
Uptake for the teenage three-in-one booster (which shields against tetanus, diphtheria, and polio) has dropped by 15 per cent since 2018. The NPA warns this leaves more than 25 per cent of 14-to-16-year-olds completely unprotected.
Meanwhile, Australia just logged its first diphtheria fatality in ten years. A man died at Royal Darwin Hospital in April, with lab results confirming the cause.
An official outbreak was triggered in March, primarily tearing through the Northern Territory, though cases have also popped up in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.
Professor Michael Kidd AO, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, said in a statement last week: “This is the largest outbreak since national records began in 1991.”
He officially branded the crisis a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance, sparking a coordinated national response to crush the surge.
The outbreak has predominantly hit Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. While health officials say numbers are finally dipping thanks to targeted jab rollouts, the threat remains.
Diphtheria cases are incredibly rare in the UK because routine jabs have been dished out since the 1940s. However, the government’s Travel Health Pro website has issued a stark reminder for anyone leaving the country.
It states: “Diphtheria is still a risk for unvaccinated travellers to countries where the uptake of diphtheria containing vaccines is low. Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent infection.
“Travellers should ensure they are up to date with their routine vaccines according to the UK routine immunisation schedule.”
The NPA claims that falling vaccine uptake in the UK has already fuelled a rise in other preventable diseases like measles and meningitis.
Respiratory diphtheria usually kicks off with a fever, chills and a sore throat, followed by a thick, greyish-white coating covering the back of the throat, tongue and nose.
If the bacteria invades the skin, it can trigger painful, pus-filled blisters on the hands, feet and legs, alongside nasty ulcers ringed by angry, red skin.
The latest travel scare follows warnings from health officials last year regarding a rise in diphtheria cases across both Europe and the UK.
