Tdap is the vaccine for older children and adults.
Tdap contains the same amount of tetanus vaccine as DTaP, but smaller amounts of diphtheria and pertussis vaccines.
However, with these conditions, the Tdap vaccine will likely still be recommended.
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The chances of a severe reaction are rare.
While vials of the Tdap vaccine do not contain latex, prefilled syringes do.
Anyone with a knownlatex allergyshould talk with their healthcare provider about getting the Tdap vaccine from a vial.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Dosage
The administration of Adacel and Boostrix is nearly identical but there are some minor variations.
Even so, some healthcare providers and clinics use them interchangeably.
Both are given as an injection into a large muscle in a 0.5 milliliter (mL) dose.
The vaccine either comes in a single-use vial or as a prefilled syringe.
The shot is preferentially given in thedeltoid muscleof the shoulder.
The CDC recommends the use of Boostrix in adults 65 and over.
Severe side effects are rare but can occur.
Severe Side Effects
Severe side effects are rare with Adacel and Boostrix.
Get our printable guide for your next doctor’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
People who have a mild illness, such as a cold, can probably get the vaccine.
Those who have a more serious illness should probably wait until they fully recover.
Tdap vaccines are sometimes given at the same time as other vaccines.
Most of the time doing this is not a problem and will not undermine the efficacy of either vaccine.
You should get a Tdap vaccine booster shot every 10 years because immunity from previous vaccines wanes.
Side effects are usually mild and serious reactions are rare.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough vaccination: what everyone should know.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Tetanus: symptoms and complications.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diphtheria.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pertussis.
Sanofi Pasteur.Package insert - Adacel.
GlaxoSmithKline.Package insert - Boosterix.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine recommendations.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Pertussis: summary of vaccine recommendations.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Who should NOT get vaccinated with these vaccines?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Whooping cough vaccines are safe but side effects can occur.
