Diphtheria-containing vaccine is recommended in a 5-dose schedule at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months, and 4 years of age.
Infants and children receive diphtheria toxoid in combination with tetanus toxoid and acellular pertussis, as DTPa (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis)-containing vaccines.
If the 1st dose of diphtheria-containing vaccine is given at the age of 6 weeks, infants should still receive their next scheduled doses at 4 months and 6 months of age (see Pertussis). Multiple doses of diphtheria-containing vaccines during childhood are needed to provide a protective level of immunity.1
The vaccines usually received at each schedule point are:
2, 4 and 6 months of age — DTPa-hepB-IPV-Hib (diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis, hepatitis B, inactivated poliovirus, Haemophilus influenzae type b)