Boostrix is a vaccine used for booster vaccination against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacteria that can cause serious illness and lifelong damage to a person’s organs. Vaccination is the best protection against diphtheria.
Tetanus (also known as lockjaw) is a disease caused by bacteria commonly found in soil and faecal matter. Symptoms include muscle stiffness and high fever. Tetanus can be fatal if left untreated.
Whooping cough is a highly infectious respiratory illness that can cause serious illness or even death in babies, young children, or the elderly. Vaccination reduces the risk of catching and passing whooping cough to friends and family.
Boostrix Vaccination:
Contains 3 vaccines; Pertussis (Whooping cough)/Tetanus/Diptheria
Overview:
Boostrix is administered as part of the National Immunisation Schedule at 11 years of age. The vaccine is delivered in the school-based vaccination programme to children in Year 7 in most parts of the country.
Boostrix is funded from the second trimester of every pregnancy and recommended to be administered from 16 weeks, preferably within the second trimester, to help protect both mother and her newborn infant against pertussis (whooping cough). By immunising the mother in pregnancy, the baby can be protected from whooping cough in two ways:
1. By the antibodies produced by mother following immunisation and passed to baby across the placenta
2. The mother is protected from catching whooping cough and passing it to her baby
Boostrix is funded for eligible individuals:
* a) only eligible for dose from 45 years if have received fewer than four tetanus doses in their life-time; b) from age 65 years, if it has been more than 10 years since previous dose of Td or Tdap.
Children (older than 7 years) who are not fully immunised may receive Boostrix as part of a catch-up programme.
Boostrix is available unfunded for those individuals that don't meet the funding eligibility criteria.
