Adults are recommended to have a diphtheria booster dose if they are 50 years of age and have not received a booster dose of diphtheria-toxoid vaccine in the past 10 years.
Adults should receive this dose as dTpa, to also protect against pertussis (see Pertussis). The booster dose stimulates production of antibodies against diphtheria toxin at an age when immunity against diphtheria and tetanus starts to wane.2
