4-in-1 booster: FAQs
Who should have the vaccination?
Why is IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) used rather than OPV (oral polio vaccine), which was used in the past?
Can you get polio from the polio part of this vaccine?
What is the difference between dTaP/IPV and DTaP/IPV?
How do we know that this vaccine is safe?
How effective is the new DTaP/IPV vaccine?
What are the most common side effects of the DTaP/IPV vaccine?
What is diphtheria?
What is tetanus?
What is whooping cough?
What is polio?
What other vaccines should my child have at this age?
Can this vaccine be given with other vaccines?
The DTaP/IPV vaccine is given as a pre-school booster when your child is about three years and four months old.
Oral polio vaccine (OPV) was used from the 1960s because the live vaccine provided better community-wide protection against polio.
Now that polio has been wiped out from large parts of the world, the risk of polio is so low that it is an appropriate time to switch to inactivated polio vaccine, which is given as an injection and does not carry the risk of paralytic polio.
The pre-school booster uses inactivated polio vaccine, which cannot cause polio.
Diphtheria vaccines are produced in two strengths. The two strengths are abbreviated to 'D' for higher strength and 'd' for lower strength. Both vaccines have been shown to provide good responses, so it does not matter which one your child receives as their pre-school booster.
Before anyone can be given a vaccine, it has to go through many tests to check that it is safe and that it works. These checks continue even after a vaccine has been introduced. Only vaccines that pass all of the safety tests are used.
All medicines can cause side effects, but vaccines are among the safest. Research from around the world shows that vaccination is the safest way to protect your child's health.
Studies have shown that the pre-school booster is very effective.
It not only protects your child, but also stops your child passing the germs on to babies who are too young to have had all of their vaccinations.
Your child may have some redness and swelling where they had the injection, but this usually disappears after a few days. A hard lump may appear in the same place, but this will also go, usually after a few weeks.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial disease that usually begins with a sore throat and can quickly develop to cause severe problems with breathing. It can damage the heart and nervous system and can kill. Diphtheria can spread through close contact with an infected person.
Tetanus is a painful disease that affects the muscles and can cause breathing problems. It is caused by bacteria that are found in soil and manure, which can enter the body through cuts or burns. Tetanus can kill.
Whooping cough, known medically as pertussis, is a disease that can cause spells of severe coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe. It lasts for up to 10 weeks. It is not usually serious in older children, but it can cause brain damage and can be fatal in babies under one year old.
Polio is a virus that attacks the nervous system and can permanently paralyse the muscles in the arms and legs. If it affects the chest muscles, it can kill.
They should have the second dose of the MMR vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella.
Yes, the pre-school booster can be given at the same time as any other vaccine, but it should be injected in a different part of the body.
Last Updated: 17/02/2022 15:59:48
The information on this page has been adapted by NHS Wales from original content supplied by
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