Tdap Vaccination Guidelines

Dosage and Administration

The standard dose of Tdap vaccine is 0.5 mL administered intramuscularly for both children and adults, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1, 2
For children under 7 years of age, DTaP is the appropriate vaccine, with a dose of 0.5 mL administered intramuscularly, and the preferred injection site is the anterolateral aspect of the thigh for infants and children through age 2 years, and the deltoid muscle for children aged ≥3 years 1, 2
For children 7-10 years with incomplete pertussis vaccine history, only one dose of Tdap is recommended, with a dose of 0.5 mL administered intramuscularly, preferably into the deltoid muscle, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) 3, 4
For adolescents (11-18 years) and adults (≥19 years), the Tdap dose is 0.5 mL administered intramuscularly, preferably into the deltoid muscle, as recommended by the CDC 1

DTaP is not indicated for persons aged ≥7 years, and if administered inadvertently to a fully vaccinated child aged 7-10 years, this dose should be counted as the adolescent Tdap dose, as recommended by the CDC 1
If Tdap is administered inadvertently instead of DTaP as any of the first 3 doses in children under 7 years, the dose should not be counted as valid, and a replacement dose of DTaP should be administered, as recommended by the CDC 1

After the initial Tdap dose, subsequent tetanus and diphtheria protection should be maintained with Td boosters every 10 years, as recommended by the CDC 6
There is no minimum interval required between receipt of a tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine and Tdap when Tdap is otherwise indicated, as recommended by the AAP 3, 4