Adults should get Tdap boosters every 10 years. If you’ve had a severe wound, every five. Pregnant people should get it in the second half of every pregnancy.

Story by: David Steen Martin; Reviewed by Christopher M. Smalley, M.D. on November 21, 2023

The Tdap vaccine is given to prevent tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, also known as whooping cough. The goal is to protect you against three potentially dangerous bacterial infections with a single shot.

Children should receive a single dose of Tdap, preferably at age 11 or 12. Children under 7 should not receive the vaccine. Babies and children younger than 7 receive a different vaccine, DTaP, to prevent the same diseases.

Adults who have never had the Tdap vaccine should get one. Tdap stands for tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis.

“If you’re not sure if you or an older child has received the vaccine, you should get one as soon as it’s feasible,” said Christopher M. Smalley, M.D., a family medicine physician with Norton Community Medical Associates primary care in Bullitt County and Okolona. “It’s OK to receive the vaccine regardless of the interval since your last dose, so don’t worry about getting vaccine doses too close together.”

Adults who have had a Tdap vaccine should receive a booster dose every 10 years. This is true even for people over 65. Adults also can choose a Td vaccine, which protects against tetanus and diphtheria but not pertussis (whooping cough). 

Since tetanus enters the body through cuts and wounds, anyone who has had a severe wound or burn should get the booster dose after five years, instead of 10. 

A person who is pregnant should receive a dose of Tdap during the second half of every pregnancy, ideally early in the third trimester. This will maximize the protection the newborn will receive. This is especially important for pertussis, which can be life-threatening in infants.

Read more: Whooping cough vaccine for grandparents

Read more: The flu vaccine is important for mother and child

It’s also important to receive the Tdap vaccine with each pregnancy. This is true even if the pregnancies are only a year or two apart. This will help protect each child during their first few months of life. 

If a parent did not get the vaccine during the pregnancy, they should get one after delivery, before the baby is discharged. Diphtheria and pertussis spread from person to person, meaning it could spread from parent to child.

Family members and caregivers who will be coming in close contact with the baby also should get a Tdap booster if they have not had one in the past 10 years. 

Pertussis cases are highest in young infants, accounting for 1 in 10 cases in the United States. Infants are also at greatest risk for serious illness or death from the disease. 

If there is a local outbreak of pertussis, pregnant patients should get the Tdap vaccine as soon as possible. 

There is no risk of getting tetanus, diphtheria or pertussis from the Tdap vaccine. It does not have any live components. The Tdap vaccine is manufactured using inactivated, noninfectious bacterial products designed to generate an immune response.

Occasional side effects of Tdap vaccination can include pain, redness, swelling at the spot where the injection was given, a mild fever, fatigue, nausea, stomachache, vomiting and diarrhea.

In rare cases, the vaccine can cause more serious side effects such as a severe allergic reaction.

Side effects can occur after you’ve left the clinic. Call 911 if you experience signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, dizziness or weakness.

Before you get the vaccine, it’s important to tell your provider if you’ve had pain, swelling, or another allergic reaction to a previous vaccine that protects against tetanus, diphtheria or pertussis infection.

Also, let your provider know if you have any life-threatening allergies, if you have seizures or other nervous system issues, or if you have ever had Guillain-Barré syndrome.

DTaP for Babies

Babies need three DTaP shots to build up their immunity in their first six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Young children are also supposed to get two booster shots, at 15 to 18 months and 4 to 6 years. Adolescents and adults then switch to the Tdap vaccine.