Tdpa
Published 8 November 2026, 22:44
Tdpa — vacina contra o tétano, a difteria e a tosse convulsa (tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough)
The same vaccine as Td, but with whooping cough added. Adults are given it above all during pregnancy: one dose in each pregnancy, between weeks 20 and 36, after the anomaly scan and preferably before week 32. The antibodies have time to pass to the baby and protect it from whooping cough in the first weeks of life, before it has had any vaccinations of its own.
Where you come across it. Antenatal care, an appointment with the nurse, the vaccination card.
This dose replaces the next Td rather than being given in addition to it. After week 36, Tdpa no longer protects the newborn directly and is given only on a doctor's prescription. Exactly how many doses you need depends on how many tetanus vaccinations you have had in your life — so two women can end up with different plans.