The Td/IPV vaccine boosts your protection against three different diseases:
It is also known as the teenage booster.
Who should have it?
The Td/IPV vaccination is recommended for young people aged between 13 and 18 (see When it is needed).
About the vaccine
Td/IPV is a combined vaccine that contains:
- purified diphtheria toxoid (low dose)
- purified tetanus toxoid
- three types of inactivated polio virus (the viruses contained in the vaccine have been killed, so there is no risk of developing polio from the vaccine)
A toxoid is a toxin that has been treated to destroy its toxic properties but is still able to produce an immune response.
Td/IPV does not contain mercury (thiomersal) and it is not cultured in egg.
How does a booster work?
Booster vaccines contain components of the bacteria (or their products) or viruses that cause the diseases that they prevent.
If you have had the vaccinations against these diseases before, the boosters increase your immunity to protect you in the future.
If you come into contact with one of these diseases, the antibodies your body produces after the vaccination will fight the disease to stop the infection taking hold.