Over $7 Million Pledged as 230 Australians Contract Diphtheria

As Diphtheria, a highly contagious bacterial infection, spreads across four Australian states, the federal government has announced a $7.2 million (US$5.15 million) support package to help contain the outbreak.

The infection can affect the nose, throat, airways and skin and can be life-threatening in severe cases.

According to the National Disease Surveillance System, 230 cases have been recorded this year, with outbreaks occurring in parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

Around 60 percent of cases have been reported in the Northern Territory, with regional and remote communities among the hardest-hit areas.

Areas currently considered higher risk include all parts of the Northern Territory, the Kimberley, Goldfields and Pilbara regions of Western Australia, and the far northwest of South Australia.

Of the total funding, the government will allocate $5.2 million to the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre to provide additional healthcare workers, deliver booster vaccinations and treatments, and secure extra vaccine supplies and antibiotics.

Another $2 million will go towards Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations and support work with the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance NT and other affected services to provide community outreach, culturally appropriate communication and public health support.

Vaccination Push

Health Minister Mark Butler urged Australians, particularly people living in affected areas, to prioritise vaccination.

“Vaccination for diphtheria is safe and it is an incredibly effective tool against disease. We have enough vaccine and we are making sure it is getting to the right communities,” he said on May 21.

Diphtheria vaccines are recommended for children at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months, again at four years, and for adolescents aged 11 to 13 years. A booster dose is recommended for adults at 50 years, while people in higher-risk areas are advised to receive a booster every five years.

Before routine vaccinations were introduced, diphtheria was a common cause of death among children. Although uncommon in Australia today, the disease remains widespread in several overseas countries and can be brought into Australia through international travel.

Even with treatment, health authorities say up to one in ten people with respiratory symptoms can die from the infection.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy stressed the need to ensure communities receive clear and accurate information.

“We’ve got over 100 Aboriginal languages, we need to ensure that the communication is there, not misinformation, we certainly saw that through COVID, and we need to ensure that the right information is getting out to our remote and regional communities,” she told ABC Radio.

Falling Vaccination Rate Concerns

The outbreak comes as health groups warn that vaccination rates across Australia have been falling.

An Australian Medical Association report released in December 2025 warned that Australia was gradually losing the protection that had kept many serious diseases under control.

Data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance showed childhood vaccination coverage declined across all major milestones between 2023 and 2024.

Vaccination rates at 12 months fell from 92.8 percent to 91.6 percent, while coverage at 24 months dropped from 90.8 percent to 89.4 percent. Rates among children aged five years also declined from 93.3 percent to 92.7 percent.

AMA President Danielle McMullen said misinformation, vaccine fatigue and growing “anti-science attitudes” were contributing to lower confidence in vaccines and creating gaps that could allow diseases to spread.