Diphtheria can be treated by giving penicillin or other antibiotics to kill the bacteria, and antitoxin to clear free toxin in the body. However the antitoxin will not clear toxin that has already bound to cells and started to damage them. The better approach is to give toxoid to stimulate immunity to the toxin, thus enabling the body to clear toxin as soon as it appears.
Thimerosal is a mercury-based chemical.
Although no one has shown that thimerosal in vaccines poses a danger of mercury poisoning in infants or children, there is a theoretical risk of such poisoning. Therefore, most public health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recommend that infants receive diphtheria vaccine starting at age 2 months whether or not the vaccine contains thimerosal. We welcome your comments and questions. If you have specific questions about your child you must ask your child's regular doctor. No doctor can give completely accurate advice about a particular child without knowing and examining that child.