DPT Vaccine for Newborns: Why Timely Immunization is Essential

The DPT vaccine enables the immunity of children up to seven years of age to fight against the bacteria of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. After this, a booster vaccine of DPT is given to maintain the prevention and protection of these diseases in adolescents and adults. This vaccine is also called Tdap. This vaccine is given at the age of 11 years.

The DPT or DTP vaccine mainly protects children from diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus. All these three diseases are being explained in detail below.

Diphtheria:
It can cause breathing problems, paralysis and heart failure. 

Tetanus:
Tetanus is a serious bacterial disease that affects the nervous system of the body. This causes the muscles to contract, causing a lot of pain. Tetanus especially affects the muscles of the jaw and neck. Tetanus is known as lockjaw, in which the person is neither able to open the mouth nor swallow anything.

Pertussis: Whooping cough:
It is also known as whooping cough. Due to this cough, babies and children have difficulty in eating, drinking and breathing. Along with this, whooping cough also causes epilepsy, pneumonia and brain damage in children or infants. In some cases, it can even cause death of the child. 

Sometimes DPT is combined with other vaccines. Learn more about these vaccines:

Quadrivalent vaccine:
This vaccine contains DPT as well as HiB, which protects your child from Haemophilus influenza type B. 

Pentavalent vaccine:
This vaccine contains DPT along with HiB and HepB, which protects the child from hepatitis B. 

Hexavalent vaccine:
This vaccine contains DPT along with HiB, HepB and IPV (injectable polio vaccine). 

Combination vaccines give your child multiple medicines in a single dose. If you do not give combination medicines to the child, then all the vaccines under the National Immunization Scheme should be administered on time.

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Generally, there are two types of DPT vaccine -

• DTaP
• DTwP

The amount of bacteria present in both these medicines is different. The cells of pertussis bacteria are completely used in making DTwP, whereas only some parts of this bacteria are used while preparing DTaP. Due to different ways of making this vaccine, different reactions are seen in infants and children. Generally, the use of DTwP can cause frequent and severe reactions in the child.

This is why DTaP is known as a less painful medicine and DTwP is known as a more painful medicine. DTaP vaccine is less painful and has fewer side effects.

But some facts suggest that DTaP provides effective protection to children. That is why despite some side effects of this vaccine, it is considered a better option than DTaP. On the basis of some facts, the Indian Academy of Pediatrics and the Government of India recommend giving DTaP to children. Whereas the World Health Organization considers both vaccines better for infants for these diseases.

(Read more - Pneumonia in babies)

Children are given 5 doses of DPT. The correct time to give DPT vaccine to a child is given below.

• 2 months
• 4 months
• 6 months
• 15 to 18 months
• 4 to 6 years

DPT for teenagers and adults -

• Give DPT booster Tdap dose in 11 to 12 years.
• After this, one dose is required every ten years.

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DPT is given only to children below seven years of age. This vaccine is not effective for all children, some children are given only diphtheria and tetanus vaccines instead of DPT. In the following conditions, the baby or child should not be given DPT vaccine or one should wait for some time to get it.

• If the baby is not six weeks old. 
• If the baby has had a severe allergy due to the previous dose of DPT. 
• If the child has ever had a coma or repeated seizures for seven days due to the previous dose of DPT. 
• The baby had "Guillain-Barre syndrome" before taking DPT. In this condition, the immunity damages your nervous system.
• If the child has had a problem of severe pain or swelling due to the previous dose of DPT. 

In this situation, your doctor decides whether the baby should be given a DPT dose or not. Along with this, the doctor can also advise to wait for some time for the next scheduled dose of DPT. Apart from this, if the child has a mild cold or mild symptoms of any other disease, then he can be given a dose of DPT, but if the child has a serious disease, then wait for his recovery before giving the vaccine. 

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Due to the reaction caused by the DPT vaccine, it can also cause many side effects in infants and children. These are being described below.

• Redness and swelling at the site of injection. 
• Pain at the site of injection continuously or on touching.
• Three days after vaccination, the child may have fever, restlessness, loss of appetite and vomiting. 

In some cases, due to a severe reaction to the vaccine, the child may have seizures, cry for more than three hours or have a fever of more than 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Some children may experience swelling in their hands and feet after the fourth and fifth doses of DPT. 

• In very rare cases, DPT can also cause permanent brain damage to the child.
• If any kind of severe reaction is seen in the infant or child after the vaccine, go to the doctor immediately and start treatment.

(Read more - Newborn Vomiting: Common Causes)

The DPT vaccine (diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus) is a common and effective vaccine given to children to protect them from three serious diseases. Diphtheria is an infection that affects the throat and respiratory system, pertussis (whooping cough) is a highly contagious disease that can cause breathing problems, and tetanus is a serious disease that causes muscle stiffness and spasms. This vaccine is given to children at an early age and strengthens their immunity. Following DPT vaccination schedules helps reduce the spread of these diseases and protect children's health.