Delaying the DTaP vaccine

Can the DTaP vaccine be delayed?

Yes. A later start can mean fewer doses, with a longer unprotected window.

Delaying means a longer stretch during which your child has less protection than the CDC's on-time schedule would give, and often more visits overall. It does not make the vaccine less effective once the series is complete. Whether that trade-off suits your child is a decision for you and your child's healthcare practitioner.

What changes if you start later?

On the on-time schedule DTaP is 5 doses. Under the CDC catch-up rules a healthy child who starts later needs as few as 4.

• the 5th dose is NOT needed if the 4th dose is given on/after age 4 AND ≥6 months after dose 3.
• So a delayed schedule completes in 4 doses instead of 5.
• Primary doses (1-3) cannot be skipped — pertussis protection depends on them.

Compare all vaccines or read how delayed schedules work.

What are the risks of waiting?

Whooping cough is most dangerous for babies under 1 year old.

• DTaP protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). A child who has not had the primary doses has little or no protection against any of the three.
• The CDC says about 1 in 3 babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough need hospital care, and that the younger the baby, the more likely they need it.
• Tetanus enters through broken skin rather than passing between people, and the CDC says about 1 in 10 US cases are fatal. The CDC says nearly all US diphtheria cases are linked to international travel.

Sources: Pertussis complications ; About tetanus ; About diphtheria .

What are the minimum ages and intervals for DTaP?

A minimum age and a minimum interval are the earliest a dose counts. The CDC allows a 4-day grace period. Waiting longer than the minimum is always allowed.

How do you catch up on DTaP?

The CDC says a vaccine series does not need to be restarted, however much time has passed between doses; doses already given still count. See the catch-up schedule guide.

• The first three doses cannot be skipped. A fourth dose given at age 4 or later, at least 6 months after dose 3, can end the series without a fifth.
• The first three doses are at least 4 weeks apart; dose 4 needs at least 6 months after dose 3.

Is the DTaP vaccine required for school?

All 51 jurisdictions (50 states and DC) list DTaP as a kindergarten requirement in our data. Dose counts and grade ranges vary; check your state page.

Look up your state. Many states also allow provisional enrollment while a series is in progress.

Frequently asked questions

Can the DTaP vaccine be delayed?

Yes. A later start can mean fewer doses, with a longer unprotected window. On the on-time schedule DTaP is 5 doses. Under the CDC catch-up rules a healthy child who starts later needs as few as 4.

What are the risks of delaying the DTaP vaccine?

DTaP protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). A child who has not had the primary doses has little or no protection against any of the three. The CDC says about 1 in 3 babies younger than 1 year old who get whooping cough need hospital care, and that the younger the baby, the more likely they need it. Tetanus enters through broken skin rather than passing between people, and the CDC says about 1 in 10 US cases are fatal. The CDC says nearly all US diphtheria cases are linked to international travel.

What is the minimum age for the DTaP vaccine?

The first dose of DTaP can be given from 6 weeks. Later doses have their own minimum ages and minimum intervals after the previous dose, shown in the table on this page. The CDC counts a dose given up to 4 days before a minimum age or interval.

Is the DTaP vaccine required for school?

All 51 jurisdictions (50 states and DC) list DTaP as a kindergarten requirement in our data. Dose counts and grade ranges vary; check your state page.