Running head: TDAP EDUCATION AND THE PROPER ADMINISTRATION 1

TdaP Education and the Proper Administration

Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis

Jasmine Smith, Tramaine Tillis, Tayona Johnson

Youngstown State University

November 2016
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Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis

The reason our group chose to do our presentation on the TdaP vaccine is to introduce

students to several diseases, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, stress the importance of receiving

the TdaP vaccination to prevent acquiring these diseases, and how to properly administer the

vaccine to patients. Especially, because whooping cough, is on the rise and the rates have

increased over the past two decades, mostly seen in adolescents and adults who have weakening

immunity from previous pertussis vaccinations or infection. Infants who are too young to be

vaccinated are at in increased risk for severe pertussis disease. Many pertussis-related deaths

occur in infants less than four months of age (Kaneshiro, 2015). Adolescents and adults play a

significant role in transmission of pertussis to vulnerable infants at home, in the community, and

in health care and day care settings. Adults are not getting vaccines as needed putting them at

risk of developing and spreading these infections (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,

2015). Older adults may not realize that some vaccines received in childhood will not protect

them throughout their lives or that newer vaccines have been developed since they were first

immunized, some adults were never vaccinated. These situations are common and create public

health problems Experts estimate that up to 3.3 million cases of pertussis in adults and

adolescents occur annually in the United States (Center for Disease Control and Prevention,

2015). Pertussis outbreaks occur in workplaces, schools, and households, resulting in significant

physical, economic, and social costs.

The TdaP vaccine is administered using the same techniques rather the procedure is

performed in a home care or hospital setting. To start the procedure of TdaP administration the

nurse must first assess the adult of the need for vaccination against tetanus, diphtheria, and
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pertussis. The ideal patients include those who cannot produce documentation of the series being

received, patients who have been vaccinated but haven’t received a booster in the last 10 years or

patients presenting with a recent deep wound, bite or cut contaminated with dirt, feces and saliva

who has not been vaccinated in the last five years. Next, screen for contraindications and take

precautions. Do not give to patients who experienced systematic or anaphylactic reactions to a

prior dose or patients who have experienced encephalopathy within the last seven days. Provide

the patient with an information statement in regards to the vaccine that can be printed in English

or Spanish from www.immunize.org/vis. Prepare to administer vaccine by choosing the

appropriate needle gages (22-25), needle length (5/8-1 ½ inch), and injection site (deltoid). Clean

the injection site and vial with an alcohol pad, use z-track method, insert needle at 90 degree

angle and injecting 0.5ml of the vaccine intramuscularly for adult patients (Immunization Action

Coalition, 2015). Lastly, document the vaccination by recording the patient’s information, date,

manufacturer, lot number, site, route, as well as the name and title of the person administering

the vaccine. Prepare to handle medical emergencies that may occur, an eppi-pen should be easily

assessable, and report all adverse reactions to the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting

System at www.vaers.hhs.gov or by calling (800) 822-7967 (Immunization Action Coalition,

2015).
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References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, 02 24). Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis)

VIS. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-statements/tdap.html

Immunization Action Coalition. (2015, 05 19). Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis. Retrieved from

http://www.immunize.org/askexperts/experts_tet.asp

Kaneshiro, N. (2015, 07 10). Pertussis. Retrieved from

https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001561.htm