When should kids get their DTaP shots?
Kids should have a total of five DTaP immunizations, one at each of these ages:
- Two months.
- Four months.
- Six months.
- Fifteen to eighteen months.
- Four to six years.
How can I find an immunization clinic near me?
Contact your local health department or call the Family Health Hotline at 1-800-322-2588.
What diseases does DTaP protect against?
The DTaP vaccine protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis.
- Diphtheria is a disease of the nose, throat, lungs, and skin. It spreads by coughing and sneezing. It can cause breathing and heart problems, paralysis, coma, and even death.
- Tetanus (lockjaw) can occur when a tetanus germ enters a deep cut or puncture wound. It can cause muscle spasms, breathing problems, and death.
- Whooping cough (pertussis), on the rise in Washington State, is easily spread by coughing or sneezing. It causes coughing spells that make it hard for a child to eat, drink, or even breathe. Babies usually get pertussis from an adult or older child who's infected but who may seem to only have a mild cough. More information about pertussis is available online.
Does the full series of DTaP shots protect kids for the rest of their lives?
No, protection declines over time. After a child gets the full series of DTP or DTaP vaccines (at 2, 4, 6, 12-18 months, and 4-6 years), a booster vaccine called Tdap should be given at 11-12 years of age and is recommended every 10 years throughout adulthood.