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Before Using
In deciding to use a vaccine, the risks of taking the vaccine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this vaccine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Boostrix® is not used in children younger than 10 years of age. Adacel® is not used in children younger than 11 years of age.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that teenagers be given a Tdap vaccine instead of the tetanus-diphtheria (Td) vaccine. The committee is also encouraging all teenagers, even those who have already received Td, to get a Tdap booster to help protect against pertussis (e.g., whooping cough). If you have questions about whether your teenager should receive Tdap, contact your doctor.
Geriatric
Adacel® is not used in adults 65 years of age and older.
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of Boostrix® in the elderly.
Pregnancy
| Pregnancy Category | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| All Trimesters | C | Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no animal studies have been conducted and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women. |
Breastfeeding
There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. Tell your healthcare professional if you are taking any other prescription or nonprescription (over-the-counter [OTC]) medicine.
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this vaccine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- Encephalopathy (a brain disease), history of after a vaccine with pertussis—Should not be used in patients with this condition.
- Epilepsy (seizures or convulsions), uncontrolled or
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (nervous system disorder that causes paralysis), history of after a vaccine with tetanus or
- Infection, severe and with or without a fever or
- Progressive encephalopathy (a brain disease) or
- Stroke, active—Your doctor will decide if you or your child should receive this vaccine.
- Weakened immune system—May not work as well in patients with this condition.
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