- Diphtheria
- Tdap for Adolescents & Adults
- Pertussis
- Tdap for Adolescents & Adults
- Tetanus
- Tdap for Adolescents & Adults
For a person entering a long-term-care facility at age 70 or older, if we cannot document that the resident has had a primary series of three doses of tetanus-containing vaccine, is the right course of action upon admission to give a Tdap first, then a Td or Tdap in 1 to 2 months, followed by a Td or Tdap in 6 to 12 months, and then a Td or Tdap booster every 10 years?
Your understanding of the general Td/Tdap recommendation is correct, and this is the schedule that should be followed for persons 7 years old and older who have never received tetanus-containing vaccine or who cannot provide documentation of prior vaccination. ACIP recommends that Tdap or Td may be used in situations when only Td was previously recommended. Be sure to document doses administered in your state’s immunization information system so other healthcare providers will have access to the record of immunization and a primary series will not need to be repeated in the future.
Last reviewed:
March 31, 2022