According to a new study, most healthy adults in the US do not need tetanus and diphtheria booster shots, if uptake of childhood vaccination rates remain high. US health officials currently recommend that adults receive booster doses of the Tdap (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis [whooping cough) vaccine every 10 years. Although diphtheria is very contagious, herd immunity remain strong; 95% of the eligible population is vaccinated against this disease. Current US childhood vaccine coverage is 95%.
Unlike most vaccine preventable diseases, Tetanus is not spread between people. Therefore, this vaccine offers vital protection for the individual but does not affect other community members’ risk of infection. Research shows that Tdap vaccines produce 30 years of immunity against these diseases, much longer than the 10-year increments the current guidelines lay out.
Full Story: CIDRAP
