Talk With Your Healthcare Provider
Tell your health care provider if the person getting the vaccine:
- Has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of any vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria, or pertussis,, or has any severe, life-threatening allergies.
- Has had a coma, decreased level of consciousness, or prolonged seizures within 7 days after a previous dose of any pertussis vaccine
- Has seizures or another nervous system problem
- Has had a condition called Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- Has had severe pain or swelling after a previous dose of that protects against tetanus or diphtheria
In some cases, your child’s healthcare provider may decide to postpone your child’s DTaP vaccination until a future visit
Children with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. Children who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait until they recover before getting DTaP vaccine.
Your child’s health care provider can give you more information.
What Is The Difference Between Tdap And Dtap Immunizations
There are two different types of vaccines for whooping cough, known by their shortened initialisms, Tdap and DTaP.
Both contain inactivated forms of the toxin produced by the bacteria that cause the three diseases that make up the vaccine itself. Inactivated means the substance no longer produces disease, but does trigger the human body to create antibodies in order to provide immunity against the toxins themselves.
Who Should Not Get The Tetanus Vaccine
You shouldnât get a Tdap vaccine if you have had a severe allergic reaction after a previous Tdap vaccine. You also shouldnât get a Tdap vaccine if you have a history of coma or seizures within a week following a previous Tdap vaccine. Talk to your doctor if you have a history of epilepsy or other nervous system problems, severe pain or swelling in the past after a previous tetanus vaccine, or a history of either Guillain-Barre syndrome or chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy.
Wait to get the Tdap vaccine if you have a moderate to severe acute illness.
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Subunit Recombinant Polysaccharide And Conjugate Vaccines
Subunit, recombinant, polysaccharide, and conjugate vaccines use specific pieces of the germlike its protein, sugar, or capsid .
Because these vaccines use only specific pieces of the germ, they give a very strong immune response thats targeted to key parts of the germ. They can also be used on almost everyone who needs them, including people with weakened immune systems and long-term health problems.
One limitation of these vaccines is that you may need booster shots to get ongoing protection against diseases.
These vaccines are used to protect against:
Schedule : Prescription Only Medicine

Schedule 4 drugs and poisons, otherwise known as , are substances and preparations for therapeutic use that
- require professional medical, dental, or veterinary management or monitoring
- are for ailments or symptoms that require professional medical, dental, or veterinary diagnosis or management
- may require further evaluation for safety or efficacy
- are new therapeutic substances.
The price of many Schedule 4 substances are subsidized by the through the , when prescribed by an authorized prescriber. Certain medications may require an authority from the . Situations that may require an authority include where the drug may only have benefit in limited conditions, the true cost of the drug is high, or when there is a risk of dependence. Some states have subsets of Schedule 4 with additional requirements . Schedule 4 medicines cannot be advertised directly to the public.
Examples:
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Are There Any Children Who Should Not Get Dtap Vaccine
The CDC recommends that children who are moderately or severely ill at the time they are scheduled to receive the vaccine should wait until they recover before getting it. Minor illnesses like a cold or low-grade fever, however, should not prevent a child from receiving a dose of the vaccine.
If a child has a life-threatening allergic reaction after receiving a dose of the vaccine, that child should not be given another dose.
A child who suffered a brain or nervous system disease within seven days of receiving the vaccine should not be given another dose.
Some children may have a bad reaction to the pertussis vaccine in DTaP and should not take another dose. There is, however, a vaccine called DT that will protect them from diphtheria and tetanus. Talk with your doctor if your child experienced any of the following reactions:
- Had a seizure or collapsed after a dose of DTaP
- Cried nonstop for 3 hours or more after a dose of DTaP
- Had a fever over 105 F after a dose of DTaP
Close Contacts Of Immunocompromised Or Pregnant Individuals
Vaccination provides protection at both an individual and population level. Some people may have conditions that preclude vaccination, but they can be protected by having the people around them vaccinated. Immunization of household contacts of immunosuppressed persons, pregnant women, and neonates provides important protection against transmission of disease in the household.
Up-to-date routine immunizations are recommended for household contacts of pregnant women, immunocompromised persons, and neonates with the following exceptions:
Condition |
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Is It A Live Vaccine
Nope. Diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccines arent live vaccinations.
Types of vaccines that arent live include:
- inactivated vaccines, which contain microbes killed by chemicals, heat, or radiation
- subunits, which contain only part of the microbe
- toxoids, which contain inactivated toxins
- conjugate, which contains a subunit linked to a toxoid
Since the Tdap vaccine isnt live, it cant cause these diseases.
Tetanus Vaccine Risks And Side Effects
It’s important to know that, in general, the risk of problems from getting tetanus is much greater than from getting a tetanus vaccine. You cannot get tetanus from the tetanus shot. However, sometimes the tetanus vaccine can cause mild side effects. These may include:
- Soreness, redness, or swelling at the site of the injection
- Fever
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Transporting Storing And Handling Vaccines
Transport according to National Vaccine Storage Guidelines: Strive for 5.85 Store at +2°C to +8°C. Do not freeze. Protect from light.
Infanrix hexa vaccine must be reconstituted. Add the entire contents of the syringe to the vial and shake until the pellet completely dissolves. Use the reconstituted vaccine as soon as practicable. If it must be stored, hold at room temperature for no more than 8 hours.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is a federal program that was created to compensate people who may have been injured by certain vaccines. Claims regarding alleged injury or death due to vaccination have a time limit for filing, which may be as short as two years. Visit the VICP website at or call to learn about the program and about filing a claim.
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Do The Benefits Of The Tetanus Vaccine Outweigh Its Risks
Although tetanus bacteria are everywhere, tetanus is an uncommon cause of disease in the United States. But its probably not as rare as you may think. Between 2006 and 2016, an average of 28 cases of tetanus was reported each year in the United States with three or four deaths. On the other hand, although the tetanus vaccine can be a very rare cause of a short-lived allergic reaction called “anaphylaxis,” the tetanus vaccine does not cause death. Therefore, the benefits of the tetanus vaccine outweigh its risks. In addition, because most of the disease and death from tetanus occur in the elderly, it is important to get booster immunizations every 10 years.
How Can I Protect My Newborn From Pertussis

Pertussis can be a dangerous disease for a new baby. Because of their small airways and the amount of mucus caused by infection with pertussis, babies have trouble breathing, often turning blue during their coughing spells. Every year in the U.S. about 20 children die from pertussis, most are young babies who have not been fully immunized.
There are several things that you can do to help protect your baby from pertussis. Babies get a vaccine to protect them from pertussis when they are 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months of age. They get an additional dose at 15 to 18 months. However, babies are most susceptible during their first few months of life either because they have not gotten the vaccine yet or because the dose they received did not fully protect them. During this time, you can protect your baby by making sure that all of the adults who will be around the baby are up to date on pertussis vaccine and are healthy, particularly that they are free of coughing illnesses.
Additionally, you can encourage hand washing before people touch the baby, and if anyone has a cough, try to limit the baby’s exposure to this person. Unfortunately, people are not only contagious in the first few weeks of the severe coughing stage, but also in the one- to two-week period leading up to cough onset. During this period, symptoms may resemble cold-like respiratory symptoms .
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Pertussis: A Tale Of Two Vaccines
Pertussis, or whooping cough, has been identified since at least the Middle Ages as a disease that affects mostly infants and children, but can also affect teenagers and adults. The symptoms in the early stages of illness are similar to a cold, and then develop into a characteristic cough accompanied with gasping breaths . It is highly infectious early 20th-century statistics claimed an average death rate of 10% in children.
A therapeutic vaccine of uncertain efficacy was developed shortly after the discovery of the causative agent, Bordetella pertussis, in 1906. However, it was not until 1939 that an effective preventive vaccine was designed. Thanks to improved cultivation methods, Pearl Kendrick, Grace Eldering and Loney Gordon developed a highly effective, whole-cell inactivated vaccine . In the late 1940s the pertussis vaccine was combined with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids to become DTP and was widely adopted shortly afterwards.
The whole-cell pertussis vaccine was blamed for causing various intellectual and physical disabilities, including in a TV documentary. This precipitated the formation of Dissatisfied Parents Together, which would eventually become the National Vaccine Information Center, and remains to this day a major source of disinformation about vaccines in the USA.
In the meantime, several countries are experimenting with new vaccination schedules and vaccination of pregnant women, and the search for a better vaccine continues.
About Tetanus Diphtheria And Pertussis
These three diseases are all caused by bacteria. Diphtheria and pertussis are spread from person to person. Tetanus bacteria live in soil and dirt the bacteria enter the body through cuts, scratches, or wounds. Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine, a combination vaccine, provides protection against all three. There is a formulation for infants and children and a formulation for adolescents and adults .
Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a serious infection that causes coughing spells so severe that it can be hard to breathe. The disease can even lead to cracked ribs, pneumonia, or hospitalization. Protection from the pertussis vaccine that is given in early childhood wears off, so adolescents and adults can get whooping cough. The illness is usually milder in them , but they are common transmitters of the infection to infants, who are at the highest risk of death. In fact, a whooping cough outbreak that occurred in California in 2010 was responsible for the largest number of cases in California in nearly 50 years and the death of 10 infants.
Diphtheria is rare in the US, however, it still exists in other countries and can pose a serious threat to anyone not fully immunized who travels abroad or who has contact with infected individuals who come to the US. Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death.
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Schedule : Controlled Drug
Schedule 8 drugs and poisons, otherwise known as Controlled Drugs, are substances and preparations for therapeutic use which have high potential for and . The possession of these medications without authority is an offence.
Like schedule 4 substances, the price of many Schedule substances are subsidized through the , some of which may require an authority. In addition, in some states, all drugs on schedule 8 require a doctor to have an S8 permit before prescribing treatment. For example, in the prescribing of Schedule 8 CNS stimulant medication requires authorisation from the NSW Ministry of Health and is generally restricted to specialists, such as paediatricians and psychiatrists. A GP cannot initiate the treatment, although they can prescribe in very limited circumstances, e.g. co-prescribing on behalf of the specialist and in rural areas, if the patient has been diagnosed with , a GP may apply for the authority to prescribe. Patients who may require Schedule 8 CNS stimulant medication should be referred to a specialist for assessment.
Examples:
How Can I Learn More
- Ask your healthcare provider.
- Visit the website of the Food and Drug Administration for vaccine package inserts and additional information at .
- Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention : call or visit CDC’s website at .
DTaP Vaccine Information Statement. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Immunization Program. 8/6/2021.
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When Should Adults Be Vaccinated With Tdap
The CDC recommends the Tdap vaccine for all adults ages 19 and older who have never received the vaccine, especially:
- Health care workers who have direct contact with patients
- Caregivers of infants under 1 year old, including parents, grandparents, and babysitters
- Pregnant women in their third trimester , even if they have previously received Tdap vaccine this can protect a newborn from whooping cough in the first months of life.
- New mothers who have never received the Tdap
- People who travel to countries where pertussis is common
You may be given the Tdap vaccine if you have a severe cut or burn and have never received a dose before. Severe cuts or burns raise your risk for tetanus.
The Tdap vaccine can be given any time of the year. Only one shot is needed. It may be given with other vaccinations. Tdap can be given regardless of the interval since the last Td vaccine was given.
The Tdap vaccine can be used safely for those ages 65 and over, according to 2013 CDC recommendations.
Concurrent Or Recent Medication Including Biologics
Antibiotic therapy
Antibiotic therapy does not interfere with response to non-live vaccines or most live vaccines with the following exceptions:
- The Typh-O vaccine series should be finished at least 3 days before commencing, or initiated at least 3 days after completing, treatment with sulphonamides or other antibiotics active against S. typhi, or antimalarials. Exceptions include chloroquine, mefloquine and atovaquone/proguanil , as these antimalarials do not affect the immune response to Typh-O vaccine and can be administered at the same time as, or at any interval before or after Typh-O vaccine.
- Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine should not be administered to individuals receiving drugs with anti-tuberculous activity, including fluoroquinolones.
Anticoagulation
Antiviral therapy
Antiviral therapy does not interfere with response to non-live vaccines or most live vaccines with the following exceptions:
Recent administration of blood products containing antibodies
A risk-benefit assessment is needed for post-partum women who have received Rh immunoglobulin and require MMR or varicella vaccine. For more information, refer to Blood Products, Human Immunoglobulin and Timing of Immunization in Part 1.
Salicylates
While it is generally safe to be immunized when taking salicylates there are some exceptions:
Refer to Immunization of Persons with Chronic Diseases in Part 3 for additional information.
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Injection Route And Injectionsite
Injectable vaccines are administered by intramuscular, intradermal, and subcutaneous routes. The method of administration of injectable vaccines depends in part on the presence of an adjuvant in some vaccines. The term adjuvant refers to a vaccine component distinct from the antigen, which enhances the immune response to the antigen. Vaccines containing an adjuvant should be injected into a muscle mass, because administration subcutaneously or intradermally can cause local irritation, induration, skin discoloration, inflammation, and granuloma formation. Detailed discussion and recommendations about vaccination of people with bleeding disorders or receiving anticoagulant therapy are available in the ACIP general best practices guidelines for immunization.
Routes of administration are recommended by the manufacturer for each immunobiologic. Deviation from the recommended route of administration may reduce vaccine efficacy or increase local adverse reactions. Detailed recommendations on the route and site for all vaccines have been published in ACIP recommendations a compiled list of these publications is available on the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs .
Measles Mumps And Rubella

The measles-mumps-rubella vaccine is recommended for several groups: children unvaccinated adults born after 1957 and certain at-risk, unvaccinated populations. The vaccine is only available as a live, attenuated vaccine. As such, it is generally contraindicated in patients with IBD who are on immunosuppressive therapy. Susceptible close contacts of these patients should be vaccinated. Although there are no studies investigating use of this vaccine in nonimmunosuppressed patients with IBD, whether to vaccinate patients prior to initiating therapy can be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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