The teenage booster, also known as the 3-in-1 or the Td/IPV vaccine, is given to boost protection against 3 separate diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, and polio. Before vaccines existed, these diseases used to kill thousands of children in the UK every year.
Tetanus is an infection of the nervous system that is always serious and often fatal. The bacteria, called Clostridium tetani, are all around us (for example in soil), and they enter the body through scratches, burns and cuts. The main symptoms include
stiffness in your jaw muscles, painful muscle spasms which can make it difficult to breathe or swallow, a high temperature, sweating and a rapid heartbeat. If it’s not treated, symptoms can get worse over time.
Before World War 2, around 200 people in the UK died of tetanus each year. The vaccine was introduced in 1961, and by the 1970s, tetanus was hardly seen in children in the UK. There are now only a handful of cases each year in the UK, mostly in unvaccinated older people. However, even though the number of cases is very low, there have still been 11 reported deaths from tetanus in the last 20 years in the UK, which is why vaccination is so important.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious infection that affects the nose and throat, and sometimes the skin. It can give you a sore throat and make it difficult for you to breathe and swallow. Before a vaccine was introduced in 1940, diphtheria used to be a common childhood illness which killed an average of 3,500 children a year in the UK. It is hardly seen in countries like the UK anymore because of vaccination. However, the disease is still common in some parts of the world (for example, Russia, India, Africa, South East Asia and South America). Travellers to these areas can bring diphtheria back to the UK, which may put unvaccinated people at risk. Since the start of 2015, two unvaccinated children have died of diphtheria in Europe (one in Spain in 2015 and one in Belgium in 2016).
Polio is a serious infection that can cause flu-like symptoms and in rare cases paralysis. Most people will recover, and movement will slowly come back, however some people can be left with permanent disability. Since February 2022, poliovirus has been detected in sewage samples in North and East London. This means person to person transmission is occurring in the population, leading to risk for those who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.
It’s routinely given at secondary school (in school year 9) – usually at the same time as the MenACWY vaccine.
In total, children need 5 doses of the tetanus, diphtheria and polio vaccines through your childhood. This will build up and maintain the body’s own immunity against these infections and protect against the diseases.
People receive the first 3 doses as a baby in the 6-in-1 vaccine. The 4th dose is given around the age of 3 as a pre-school booster in the 4-in-1 vaccine, and the 5th and final dose is the teenage 3-in-1 booster given at age 14 (school year 9).
The best way to prevent polio, tetanus and diphtheria is to make sure your child is up to date with every dose of this vaccine.
