Introduction

The DTaP/IPV (or dTaP/IPV) vaccine boosts your child's protection against four different diseases:

• diphtheria (D/d)
• tetanus (T)
• pertussis (whooping cough) (aP is the acellular pertussis vaccine)
• polio (IPV is inactivated polio vaccine)

It is also known as the pre-school booster.

Who should have it
The DTaP/IPV vaccine is recommended for children about three years and four months old (see When it is needed).

Two vaccines are available. One contains higher-strength diphtheria (DTaP/IPV) and the other contains lower-strength diphtheria (dTaP/IPV).

Both vaccines have been shown to provide good booster responses, so it does not matter which one your child is given as their pre-school booster.

These vaccines do not contain thiomersal (mercury).

How effective is this vaccine
In clinical trials, more than 99% of children who had been given DTaP/IPV developed protection against tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio when tested four weeks after having the vaccine.

The vaccines protect children from infection until the school-leaving booster.

Safety
Before being granted a licence, the safety, quality and effectiveness of all medicines (including vaccines) are thoroughly tested. However, as with other medicines, vaccines can have side effects in some people.

When the DTaP/IPV Booster is Offered

The DTaP/IPV vaccine is a pre-school vaccine that should be offered when your child is three years and four months old, or soon after.

It is given as a single injection directly into the muscle in the upper arm.

Pre-school booster vaccinations are given to make sure that the vaccinations given to children when they are babies provide enough protection throughout their school years.

The pre-school vaccinations top up your child’s level of antibodies. Antibodies are proteins produced by your immune system that help fight off disease and keep you protected.

Who should not have it
There are very few children who cannot have this vaccine.

This vaccine should not be given to children who have had an anaphylactic reaction (serious allergic reaction) to a previous dose of the vaccine, or a reaction to any part of the vaccine that may be present in tiny amounts, such as neomycin, streptomycin or polymixin B.

There are no other medical reasons why these vaccines should not be given. Children with a minor illness without a fever, such as a cough or cold, should be offered the vaccination.

If your child is ill with a fever, vaccination should be delayed until they have recovered. This is to avoid wrongly associating any progression of the illness with the vaccine.

Other vaccines
The DTaP/IPV booster can be given at the same time as any other vaccine (such as MMR, flu or BCG), but the vaccines should be injected in a different site.

Side Effects of the DTaP/IPV Booster

When side effects do occur to this vaccine, they are most likely to happen within 48 hours of the vaccine being given. They include the following.

Very common reactions
More than 1 child in 10 having the vaccine experiences the following:

• loss of appetite
• irritability
• restlessness
• unusual crying
• mild fever
• pain, redness and swelling at the injection site

Common reactions
Between 1 child in 10 and 1 child in 100 who has the vaccine experiences the following:

• vomiting
• diarrhoea

Uncommon reactions
Between 1 child in 100 and 1 child in 1,000 who has the vaccine experiences the following:

• swollen glands
• rash

Rare or very rare reactions
Less than 1 child in 1,000 who has the vaccine experiences convulsions (fits).

Severe allergic reactions can also happen with any vaccine, but they are extremely rare. The people who give vaccinations are trained to deal with severe reactions and children recover completely with treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should have the vaccination?
The DTaP/IPV is given as a pre-school booster when your child is about three years and four months old.

Why is inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) used rather than oral polio vaccine (OPV), which was used in the past?
Oral polio vaccine (OPV) was used from the 1960s because the live vaccine provided better community-wide protection against polio.

Now that polio has been wiped out from large parts of the world, the risk of polio is so low that it is an appropriate time to switch to inactivated (killed) polio vaccine, which does not carry the risk of paralytic polio.

Can you get polio from the polio part of this vaccine?
The DTaP/IPV vaccine uses inactivated (killed) polio vaccine, which cannot cause polio.

What is the difference between dTaP/IPV and DTaP/IPV?
Diphtheria vaccines are produced in two strengths, that differ in how much diphtheria toxoid (the inactivated toxin produced by diphtheria bacteria) they contain.

The two strengths are abbreviated to 'D' for higher strength and 'd' for lower strength. Both vaccines have been shown to provide good responses, so it does not matter which one your child receives as their pre-school booster.

How do we know that this vaccine is safe?
Before anyone can be given a vaccine, it has to go through many tests to check that it is safe and that it works. These checks continue even after a vaccine has been introduced. Only vaccines that pass all of the safety tests are used.

All medicines can cause side effects, but vaccines are among the safest. Research from around the world shows that vaccination is the safest way to protect your child's health.

How effective is the new DTaP/IPV vaccine?
Studies have shown that the DTaP/IPV vaccine is very effective.

The booster not only protects your child, but also stops your child passing the germs on to babies who are too young to have had all of their vaccinations.

What are the most common side effects of the DTaP/IPV vaccine?
Your child may have some redness and swelling where they had the injection, but this usually disappears after a few days. A hard lump may appear in the same place, but this will also go, usually after a few weeks.

What is diphtheria?
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial disease that usually begins with a sore throat and can quickly develop to cause severe problems with breathing (see Health A-Z: diphtheria). It can damage the heart and nervous system and can kill. Diphtheria can spread through close contact with an infected person.

What is tetanus?
Tetanus is a painful disease that affects the muscles and can cause breathing problems. It is caused by bacteria that are found in soil and manure, which can enter the body through cuts or burns. Tetanus can kill.

What is pertussis (whooping cough)?
Whooping cough is a disease that can cause spells of severe coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe (see Health A-Z: whooping cough). It lasts for up to 10 weeks. It is not usually serious in older children, but it can cause brain damage and can be fatal in babies under one year old.

What is polio?
Polio is a virus that attacks the nervous system and can permanently paralyse the muscles in the arms and legs (see Health A-Z: polio). If it affects the chest muscles, it can kill.

What other vaccines should my child have at this age?
They should have the second dose of the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella.

Can this vaccine be given with other vaccines?
Yes, the DTaP/IPV booster can be given at the same time as any other vaccine, but it should be injected in a different site.