Diphtheria Vaccination
Pronounced (dif-THEER-ee-a)

Diphtheria causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death. There are several combination vaccines used to prevent diphtheria: DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td.

What You Should Know

• Brief description
  Symptoms, treatment, transmission, etc.
• Pictures of Diphtheria
  Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic.
• Travelers information
  Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc.
• Timeline of Diphtheria Disease and Vaccine
  Source: History of Vaccines
• Diphtheria basics
  Fact sheet offers overview of Diphtheria disease and vaccine risks and benefits
  • In English
  • En Español

Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis Vaccines

There are four combination vaccines used to prevent diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis: DTaP, Tdap, DT, and Td. Two of these (DTaP and DT) are given to children younger than 7 years of age, and two (Tdap and Td) are given to older children and adults.

Children should get 5 doses of DTaP, one dose at each of the following ages: 2, 4, 6, and 15-18 months and 4-6 years. DT does not contain pertussis, and is used as a substitute for DTaP for children who cannot tolerate pertussis vaccine.

Td is a tetanus-diphtheria vaccine given to adolescents and adults as a booster shot every 10 years, or after an exposure to tetanus under some circumstances. Tdap is similar to Td but also containing protection against pertussis. Adolescents 11-18 years of age (preferably at age 11-12 years) and adults 19 through 64 years of age should receive a single dose of Tdap. For adults 65 and older who have close contact with an infant and have not previously received Tdap, one dose should be received. Tdap should also be given to 7-10 year olds who are not fully immunized against pertussis. Tdap can be given no matter when Td was last received.

(Upper-case letters in these abbreviations denote full-strength doses of diphtheria (D) and tetanus (T) toxoids and pertussis (P) vaccine. Lower-case “d” and “p” denote reduced doses of diphtheria and pertussis used in the adolescent/adult-formulations. The “a” in DTaP and Tdap stands for “acellular,” meaning that the pertussis component contains only a part of the pertussis organism.)

• As an adult, do I need this vaccine?
  (19 years and older)
• Side Effects of vaccine
  Excerpt from Vaccine Information Statement
  
• Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)  (Td, DTaP, and Tdap)
  (DTP is no longer used in the United States)
• Questions and Answers
  about the various vaccines (DT, DTaP, Td, Tdap)
• State Vaccine Requirements
  Includes school vaccine requirements
• Travelers information
  Information and updates on risks, precautions, etc.

• SIDS Not Linked to Number & Variety of Childhood Vaccines
  Institute of Medicine report
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines
• Febrile Seizures After MMR and DTP Vaccinations
• Additives in Vaccines  

As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including pain and redness at the injection site, headache, fatigue or a vague feeling of discomfort.

• Multiple or combined vaccines and the immune system
• CDC's Vaccine Safety website
  • concerns | report a suspected vaccine reaction

• What if we stopped vaccinating for this disease?
• Who should not be vaccinated with Diphtheria vaccine?
• See Pregnancy section below.

For Health Professionals