Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis: Guidelines for Vaccine Prophylaxis and Other Preventive Measures

Abstract

This revision of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) statement on diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis updates the statement issued in 1981 and incorporates the 1984 supplementary statement on the risks of pertussis disease and pertussis vaccine for infants and children with personal histories of convulsions. It includes a review of the epidemiology of the three diseases, a description of the available immunobiologic preparations, and the appropriate immunization schedules. Also included are revisions in the schedule for combined diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, when pertussis vaccine is contraindicated, and revisions in the recommendations on precautions and contraindications to vaccine use, on immunization for infants and children who have underlying neurologic disorders, and on tetanus prophylaxis in wound management.