Tdap booster in the UK: whooping cough, tetanus and diphtheria boosters explained

Tdap is shorthand for tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis, a combined booster used in several countries for adolescents and adults. In the NHS vaccination schedule the same diseases are covered by different products at different ages, rather than one product labelled Tdap.

The NHS lists three vaccines that give whooping cough protection in the UK: Adacel, which it describes as the main type, Boostrix-IPV and Repevax. The NHS says there are three types of whooping cough vaccine given in the UK, and that patient leaflets for each can be checked for ingredients.

The NHS says whooping cough (pertussis) is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes that spreads very easily and can be serious, and it is important for babies, children and anyone who is pregnant to be vaccinated against it. Babies under 6 months old with whooping cough have an increased chance of problems such as dehydration, breathing difficulties, pneumonia and seizures.

The NHS describes the illness as starting like a cold, then after about a week causing coughing bouts that last a few minutes and are worse at night, sometimes with a whoop, and that the cough may last for several weeks or months. Young babies under 3 months old and some adults may not whoop. It is less severe in older children and adults but coughing may cause sore ribs, hernia, middle ear infections or urinary incontinence.

Babies cannot have their first dose of the 6-in-1 vaccine, which includes whooping cough protection, until 8 weeks old. The NHS says that getting vaccinated during pregnancy helps protect the baby until then, because some of the protection from the vaccine is passed on to the baby.

It says the vaccine is always recommended in pregnancy, even if you have had it before, and is usually offered at around 20 weeks, at the same time as the 20-week scan, but can be given at any time from 16 to 32 weeks. You can have it after 32 weeks but it will not protect your baby as well, and you and your baby get the best protection if you have it before 32 weeks. If you have had your 20-week scan and have not been offered it, speak to your GP, midwife or health visitor.

The NHS says studies show the vaccine is very safe in pregnancy and there are no known risks to you or your baby from having it, and that having it is safer than the risk of your baby getting whooping cough. It can be given at the same time as other vaccines such as the RSV and flu vaccines, although it is best to have each as soon as it is offered rather than waiting.

The NHS says the 4-in-1 pre-school booster is recommended for children aged 3 years and 4 months, before they start school, and helps protect against diphtheria, polio, tetanus and whooping cough by boosting the protection provided by the 6-in-1 vaccine. If missed, children can still have it up to the age of 10.

The Td/IPV vaccine, the 3-in-1 teenage booster, is given around 13 or 14 years and protects against tetanus, diphtheria and polio; it does not include whooping cough. It is also given to adults at higher risk of these illnesses, such as people who need protection before travelling abroad if their last dose was more than 10 years ago, people with a large, dirty or deep wound that could mean a risk of tetanus, and some laboratory workers. The NHS says it can be given to people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

The sources used here describe adult use of the booster in specific situations rather than as a routine adult schedule. Td/IPV may be recommended for those going to areas where medical help is difficult to get quickly, and the NHS says you may have to pay for this if it is for travel, through travel vaccination clinics, pharmacies with travel health services and some GP surgeries.

The NHS says that if you or your child missed getting the Td/IPV vaccine you should speak to your school nurse, or your GP surgery if you have left school. For healthcare workers, the NHS says employers should offer the whooping cough booster if they regularly work in maternity services or with babies aged under 3 months, every 5 years.

For the whooping cough vaccine, the NHS says most side effects are mild and last no longer than a few days, and can include swelling, pain, a small lump or redness where the injection was given, a headache, feeling achy or tired, a rash, diarrhoea or feeling sick or being sick. More serious side effects such as anaphylaxis are very rare, and the vaccinator is trained to treat them immediately.

You may not be able to have the vaccine if you have had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose or an ingredient. The NHS says to tell the person vaccinating you if you have a latex allergy, because the main whooping cough vaccine given in the UK uses latex in the syringe, so you may need a different type. For the Td/IPV vaccine, it may not be suitable for those with the rare condition phenylketonuria.