Protects against:
- Tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough) — reduced-antigen booster formulation for diphtheria and pertussis compared to the pediatric DTaP series
Who should get it:
- Adolescents and adults aged 7 years and older
- Anyone due for a routine tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis booster
- Pregnant individuals — recommended during the third trimester of each pregnancy, specifically to protect newborns from pertussis before they’re old enough to be vaccinated themselves
- Healthcare workers and anyone in close contact with infants under 12 months (cocooning strategy)
- Wound management — for tetanus prophylaxis in a tetanus-prone wound, if due for a booster
Schedule:
- Given as a single 0.5 mL intramuscular dose into the deltoid
- An initial dose is administered 5 years or more after the last dose of the DTaP series, or 5 years or more after a dose of Td GSKPro
- It may be given as an additional booster dose 9 years or more after an initial Tdap dose GSKPro
- For a tetanus-prone wound, a dose may be given if at least 5 years have elapsed since the previous tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine GSKPro
- Pregnancy: one dose each pregnancy, in the third trimester, regardless of prior Tdap history
Duration of protection:
- Routine booster interval is every 10 years for continued tetanus/diphtheria protection
- Pertussis (whooping cough) protection wanes faster, which is why pregnancy dosing is repeated with every pregnancy rather than relying on a prior dose
Why vaccinate:
- Tetanus: causes severe, often fatal muscle rigidity and spasms from a toxin-producing bacterium found in soil and dust — no natural immunity develops even after infection
- Diphtheria: can cause airway obstruction, heart, and nerve damage
- Pertussis: highly contagious and especially dangerous — even fatal — in infants too young to be fully vaccinated; maternal vaccination transfers protective antibodies before birth
Important note:
- Contraindicated in anyone with a known history of severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) to any component of the vaccine, or after a previous dose of any tetanus toxoid-, diphtheria toxoid-, or pertussis antigen-containing vaccine GSKPro
- Also contraindicated if encephalopathy occurred within 7 days of a previous dose of a pertussis-containing vaccine GSKPro
- Boostrix is not intended as a primary series or to complete a primary series for diphtheria, tetanus, or pertussis — it is a booster only, given after a primary DTaP series is already complete Gskpro
- Do not confuse with DTaP (Infanrix), which is the full-strength pediatric primary series for children under 7 — Tdap (Boostrix) is the reduced-dose booster for age 7+