How many doses of DTP vaccine are needed?
The usual schedule for infants in India is a series of three doses given at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks of age, followed by a fourth dose at 15 to 18 months of age. A fifth shot, or booster dose, is recommended at four to six years of age. I was immunised in childhood. Why do I have to keep getting immunised? Infants receive the DTP vaccine as part of their routine immunization. But adults should be given a routine booster dose of Tt every ten years. Unlike the Polio vaccine, Tt is not a live vaccine; hence your immunity tends to wane with time, which is why booster doses are required. Other than getting immunised every ten years, what else do I need to do? In some individuals, antibody levels may fall too low to provide protection even if 10 years have not passed. That is the reason you get a shot every time you are injured. Everyone knows that being pricked by a rusty nail means getting a Tetanus injection. But the requirement for immunisation goes beyond just rusty nails. If you
