The DPT vaccine prevents three hitherto common childhood illnesses: diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, or whooping cough.

Why take this vaccine?

These 3 illnesses are easily transmitted diseases that afflict humans. Diphtheria and pertussis spread through the respiratory route, while tetanus is acquired when wounds or cuts become contaminated.

Diphtheria enters through the throat and causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death.

Pertussis, or whooping Cough causes a cough that is paroxysmal and occurs in prolonged bouts, so much so that it is hard for infants to eat, drink, or breathe. These spells can last for weeks. It can lead to pneumonia, fits or convulsions(jerking and staring spells), brain damage, and even death.

Tetanus a.k.a Lockjaw causes painful tightening of the muscles (due to spasm), usually all over the body. It can lead to “locking” of the jaw so the victim cannot open his mouth or swallow. It is very dangerous if the muscles that help us breathe are involved. Tetanus leads to death in up to 20% cases.

DTP vaccine is highly effective in the prevention of these diseases that can cause significant morbidity and even death.

Who should receive this vaccine?

All children should get 5 doses of this vaccine at the following ages:

• 1.5 months
• 2.5 months
• 3.5 months
• 15-18 months
• 4.5-5 years

All individuals between 11-64 years should receive a single shot of [simple_tooltip content=’A variant of the DPT vaccine’]Tdap vaccine[/simple_tooltip].

All adults should receive [simple_tooltip content=’Another variant of the DPT vaccine’]Td vaccine[/simple_tooltip] every 10 years.

Doctor, we have heard that there are two varieties, the painless and the painful DPT vaccine for children. Why should any child have to suffer pain?

You are right, there are two types of vaccines, the DPT and the DTaP vaccines that are used in children. Without getting into technical details, DPT contains all parts of the pertussis component and the DTaP does not have all parts. As per the WHO site:

Although aP vaccines (like DTaP) have gradually supplanted the use of wP vaccines (like DPT) in industrialized countries, the significantly higher development and production costs of aP vaccines result in prices that are much higher than that of a dose of wP vaccine. Given that the relative protective efficacy of the best wP and aP vaccines are comparable and the adverse events of both vaccines are relatively minor, wP vaccines remain the vaccine of choice in many developing countries.

So, really there is not much of a difference. The painless one has proponents that it causes less local side-effects and the painful one has proponents that claim that it is more effective without there being definite evidence backing one over the other.

What are these side-effects that we are talking about? I hope they are not serious!

Every thing that we take has benefits and potential side-effects. In general, this vaccine is extremely safe and prevents deaths and significant illnesses.

Mild Problems (Common)

• Fever (up to about 1 in 4 children)
• Up to about 1 child in 4 experiences redness or swelling at the shot site.
• The shot caused soreness or tenderness in the area for up to about 1 child in 4.

These problems occur more often after the fourth and fifth doses of the vaccine than after earlier doses. Sometimes, after the 4th or 5th dose of the vaccine, about 1 in 30 children experience swelling of the entire arm or leg where they received the shot, and this swelling lasts 1-7 days.

Other mild problems include:

• Fussiness (up to about 1 child in 3)
• Tiredness or poor appetite (up to about 1 in 10 children 10)
• Vomiting (up to about 1 child in 50)

These problems generally occur 1-3 days after the shot.

Moderate Problems (Uncommon)

• Seizure (jerking or staring) (about 1 child out of 14,000)
• Non-stop crying, for 3 hours or more (up to about 1 child out of 1,000)
• High fever, over 105°F (about 1 out of 16,000 children)

Severe Problems (Very Rare)

• Serious allergic reaction (less than 1 in a million doses)
• Several other serious problems may rarely occur and include:
  • Long-term seizures, coma, or lowered consciousness
  • Permanent brain damage. These are so rare that it is hard to tell if they are caused by the vaccine or something else.

Controlling fever is especially important for children who have had seizures for any reason. It is also important if another family member has had seizures. To reduce fever and pain, give your child an aspirin-free pain reliever when they receive the shot and for the next 24 hours, and consult your pediatrician.

If your child unfortunately develops any of the moderate or severe reactions described above, please contact your pediatrician in an emergency.