TDaP Vaccine

Tdap is one of the vaccines adults are most likely to be overdue for, usually without even realizing it. It protects against three serious diseases at once, and boosters are recommended every ten years for life. The Shot Nurse offers Tdap on a walk-in basis at our Memphis and Germantown offices.

What Does Tdap Protect Against?

Tdap protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, three bacterial illnesses that, while less common than they once were, can still be serious or even fatal.

Tetanus

Sometimes called lockjaw, is caused by bacteria that enter the body through cuts, puncture wounds, or burns, often from something like a rusty nail. It causes painful muscle stiffness and spasms and can be fatal without treatment. Unlike the other two diseases Tdap protects against, tetanus isn’t spread person to person. It lives in soil, dust, and manure, which is why deep or dirty wounds carry particular risk.

Diphtheria

A bacterial infection that can cause a thick coating to form in the back of the throat, making it difficult to breathe or swallow. It spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact, and while it’s now rare in the United States thanks to widespread vaccination, it remains serious when it does occur.

Pertussis

Better known as whooping cough, is the one causing the most concern right now, with cases making a noticeable comeback across the country in recent years. It spreads easily through coughing and close contact and causes severe, prolonged coughing fits that can make it hard to breathe. Pertussis is often just miserable for teens and adults, but it can be life-threatening for infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated themselves.

Who Should Get the Tdap Vaccine

• Preteens: Should receive a single dose at 11 or 12 years old
• Adults who have never received Tdap: Should get a dose regardless of when they last had a tetanus shot
• Everyone else: Should get a Td or Tdap booster every 10 years to maintain protection against tetanus and diphtheria
• Anyone with a severe or dirty wound: May need a booster after just 5 years if it’s been a while since their last dose
• Pregnant women: Should get a dose of Tdap during every pregnancy, ideally early in the third trimester

Why Tdap During Pregnancy Matters So Much

Getting Tdap between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy allows a mother to pass protective antibodies to her baby before birth, lowering the risk of whooping cough in infants. This matters because babies don’t start building their own protection from the pertussis vaccine series until they’re two months old, leaving a gap during the window when they’re most vulnerable to severe complications. This is recommended during every single pregnancy, regardless of how recently a woman received a previous Tdap dose, since the goal each time is maximizing the antibodies passed to that particular baby.

Anyone who expects to be in close contact with a new baby, including partners, grandparents, and siblings, should also make sure they’re up to date on Tdap at least two weeks before meeting the infant. 

Safety and Side Effects

Tdap has a long track record of safety, including during pregnancy, where it’s monitored through multiple federal safety surveillance systems with no unusual patterns of adverse events identified. Most side effects are mild and short-lived, including soreness, redness, or swelling at the injection site, along with occasional fatigue, headache, or a low fever.

Get Vaccinated at The Shot Nurse

The Shot Nurse has provided immunization care to the Memphis and Mid-South community for more than 30 years. Whether you stepped on something sharp in the yard, you’re expecting and want to protect your baby before they arrive, or you simply can’t remember your last tetanus shot, you can walk into our Memphis or Germantown office without an appointment.

Information on this page is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more detail, visit the CDC’s pertussis vaccine recommendations page, the CDC’s guidance on Tdap during pregnancy, and the Tdap Vaccine Information Statement.