DTaP vaccine: what DTaP means and when your child gets each dose

DTaP is the vaccine that protects your child against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (whooping cough). The small a stands for acellular, a more purified kind of whooping cough vaccine. In Singapore it comes inside the 6-in-1 and 5-in-1 jabs, and HealthHub says all children should get 3 doses followed by 2 boosters. Vaccination against diphtheria is compulsory by law.

What DTaP means, letter by letter

D is diphtheria, T is tetanus and aP is acellular pertussis. CDC explains that safety worries about the older whole-cell whooping cough vaccine led to more purified, acellular vaccines, which cause side effects less often.

HealthHub describes the three diseases plainly. Diphtheria can cause breathing and swallowing problems, heart failure, paralysis and death. Tetanus, or lockjaw, makes a toxin that causes painful muscle contractions, and it enters through cuts or wounds rather than spreading between people. Pertussis causes violent, uncontrollable coughing, which leaves a baby struggling to breathe, eat or drink.

You will also see Tdap, with a small d and p. HealthHub says the two differ in their diphtheria and pertussis content. Tdap is the type used for the booster at 10 to 11 years and in pregnancy.

DTaP doses at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months, then age 10 to 11

HealthHub's DTaP leaflet sets out the NCIS doses:

• 2 months: dose 1
• 4 months: dose 2
• 6 months: dose 3
• 18 months: booster 1
• 10 to 11 years: booster 2, as Tdap

On the Singapore schedule DTaP comes inside combination jabs. MOH's schedule table gives it as the 6-in-1 at 2 and 6 months and the 5-in-1 at 4 and 18 months. The 5-in-1 covers DTaP, polio (IPV) and Hib, and the 6-in-1 adds hepatitis B. A KKH article on HealthHub says these combinations mean fewer injections. For the last booster, vaccine.gov.sg says the Health Promotion Board's School Health Service gives Tdap and IPV to primary and secondary school students.

What DTaP costs in Singapore

For Singapore Citizen children the 5-in-1 and 6-in-1 are covered. vaccine.gov.sg says recommended NCIS vaccinations cost citizens $0 at CHAS GP clinics, and NHG Polyclinics says all recommended childhood immunisations have been free at polyclinics for citizens since 1 November 2020. HealthHub says PR children can get subsidies at polyclinics.

The catch is the brand. HealthHub says subsidies apply only to brands on MOH's Subsidised Vaccine List. As of 1 April 2026 that list names Infanrix-IPV+Hib and Pentaxim for the 5-in-1, and Infanrix Hexa and Hexaxim for the 6-in-1. At a private clinic, ask which brand they use before the jab.

After the DTaP jab: normal reactions and red flags

HealthHub says the vaccines against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and Hib may cause redness and swelling at the injection site that clears within a few days, and your child may have a fever on the day of the jab and the day after. Crying, irritability and sleepiness are common too, HealthHub's leaflet adds.

NHG Polyclinics asks you to stay 15 minutes after the jab so staff can watch for reactions. Bring your child to a doctor or the polyclinic if the fever lasts beyond 48 hours, or there is persistent crying, a fit or an inflamed injection site. HealthHub says signs of allergy, such as a swollen face or lips or difficulty breathing, need a healthcare professional immediately. For a fit with fever, read about febrile seizures.

Frequently asked questions

What does DTaP stand for?

Diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis. Pertussis is whooping cough. Acellular means the purified type of pertussis vaccine that CDC says causes side effects less often than the old whole-cell one.

Is DTaP the same as the 6-in-1?

The 6-in-1 contains DTaP. MOH says the 6-in-1 is DTaP, polio (IPV), Hib and hepatitis B in one injection, and the 5-in-1 is DTaP, IPV and Hib.

Is the Tdap jab in pregnancy the same thing?

It covers the same three diseases, with reduced diphtheria and pertussis content. HealthHub recommends one dose of Tdap between 16 and 32 weeks of each pregnancy to protect your newborn against pertussis.

Is DTaP compulsory in Singapore?

The diphtheria part is. CDA says vaccination against diphtheria and measles is compulsory for children under the Infectious Diseases Act, and HealthHub says the vaccination is also required for enrolment into schools.

Related terms

• Booster: An extra dose of a vaccine your child has already had, given later to top up protection.
• NCIS (National Childhood Immunisation Schedule): Singapore's official list of recommended childhood vaccines and the age each dose is due, from birth to 17 years.
• PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine): The pneumococcal vaccine Singapore babies get at 4 and 6 months, with a booster at 12 months.
• Health Booklet: The Child Health Booklet every Singapore baby gets at delivery. It records growth, milestones and every vaccination.
• Polyclinic: A public primary care clinic with subsidised fees, where Singapore families can take children for jabs and checks.
• Febrile Seizure: A fit in a young child with a fever. Usually brief and harmless, and most common from 6 months to 6 years.

See every term in the glossary