Tdap Frequency

[busybee22]

Hi all! I have recently started at the health department and I have been trying my best to get all these vaccines in my head. I thought that the Tdap could be given as a tetorifice booster every 10 years in place of the Td booster. That’s what everything I’ve read on the CDC website and in all of the material says. But today my nursing supervisor told me that that is not the case. We had a patient come in today for a tetorifice booster who had had a Tdap back in 2009 and his doctor told him all he needed was the Td. But wouldn’t it have been OK and even beneficial to give him the Tdap instead?  Everything I’ve read about the Pertussis vaccine is that its effectiveness wanes overtime. Thanks! 

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Your thinking is correct. the acellular pertussis vaccine wanes in about 2 years time. The old, whole cell pertussis  vaccine used to last longer, but was changed out because it was thought to cause a rare adverse reaction. Unfortunately that was proven false, but only the acellular pertussis is approved. 

ACIP, the accreditation committee on immunizations practices does not specifically recommend Tdap routinely for adults, but it can be used. I have asked for it for myself. It is recommended for expectant mothers.So the doc is technically correct in that Td is the only thing needed but it is not an error to use Tdap. The pertussis can protect infants who come in contact with the immunized adult. I listened to a talk by Dr. William Atkinson, and he sort of hinted that it was a good idea, especially for grandparents. 

Many clinics only stock Tdap, so that they have fewer vaccines to monitor for outdating. 

Immunize.org has a great section called "Ask the Experts" and I have used it innumerable times. They do a great job of explaining the reasoning behind the vaccine schedules. 

https://www.immunize.org/askexperts/

[busybee22]

17 hours ago, nursej22 said:

Your thinking is correct. the acellular pertussis vaccine wanes in about 2 years time. The old, whole cell pertussis  vaccine used to last longer, but was changed out because it was thought to cause a rare adverse reaction. Unfortunately that was proven false, but only the acellular pertussis is approved. 

ACIP, the accreditation committee on immunizations practices does not specifically recommend Tdap routinely for adults, but it can be used. I have asked for it for myself. It is recommended for expectant mothers.So the doc is technically correct in that Td is the only thing needed but it is not an error to use Tdap. The pertussis can protect infants who come in contact with the immunized adult. I listened to a talk by Dr. William Atkinson, and he sort of hinted that it was a good idea, especially for grandparents. 

Many clinics only stock Tdap, so that they have fewer vaccines to monitor for outdating. 

Immunize.org has a great section called "Ask the Experts" and I have used it innumerable times. They do a great job of explaining the reasoning behind the vaccine schedules. 

https://www.immunize.org/askexperts/

OK, this makes sense! Thanks!! And thank you for the resource! I’m going to check it out!