Tripedia Uses

The Tripedia vaccine can help provide protection against several potentially serious infections, including diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. It can also be mixed with a Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine. There are currently no approved Tripedia uses for adults or children ages seven older, as there are other vaccines approved for these age groups.

Tripedia Vaccine Information

What Is Tripedia Used For?

Tripedia^® is a DTaP vaccine (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis vaccine) approved for infants and children under the age of seven. It provides protection from the following diseases:

Pertussis (also known as whooping cough), which is characterized by severe coughing spells that may end in a "whooping" sound when the infected person inhales. Severe complications of pertussis include pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, and death.
Diphtheria, an upper respiratory tract infection that causes a thick covering in the back of the throat. It can lead to breathing problems, paralysis, heart failure, and even death.
Tetanus, a life-threatening condition that causes painful and dangerous tightening of the muscles, usually all over the body. Unlike diphtheria and pertussis, which are spread from person to person, tetanus is usually acquired through cuts or wounds.

In addition, Tripedia is approved to be mixed with ActHIB^®, a Haemophilus influenzae type b vaccine (Hib vaccine), for children 15 to 18 months of age.

How Does Tripedia Work?

This vaccine contains several different components, including tetanus toxoids, diphtheria toxoids, and pertussis antigens. None of the components of this vaccine are "live," which means that Tripedia cannot cause diphtheria, tetanus, or pertussis.

It is also important to note that the pertussis component of Tripedia is acellular (not made up of whole pertussis cells) and is much safer than the whole-cell pertussis vaccine that was used in the past.

Simply stated, the components of this vaccine "trick" the body into thinking it has been exposed to these different infections. The body produces antibodies that will help fight the infections if future exposure occurs.

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