DPT vaccine

A combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus. It is also written DTP, with the same three diseases represented in a different order.

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Diphtheria toxoid: A detoxified diphtheria toxin used as an antigen in vaccines. This component prompts immunity against the toxin responsible for diphtheria’s severe effects.
Diphtheria: A serious bacterial disease caused by toxin-producing Corynebacterium diphtheriae. It is the first disease named in DPT and one of the vaccine’s targets.
Childhood immunization schedule: A public-health timetable specifying vaccines and doses recommended for children. DPT-containing vaccines are administered in multiple doses during childhood.
Whole-cell pertussis vaccine: A pertussis vaccine made from killed Bordetella pertussis bacteria. Classic DPT used this component, which caused more frequent short-term reactions than acellular alternatives.
Pertussis vaccine: A vaccine that protects against pertussis, an infectious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis. This component targets the bacterium that causes whooping cough.
Pertussis: A contagious respiratory disease caused by Bordetella pertussis, often marked by prolonged coughing fits. It is the second disease named in DPT and the source of its whooping-cough name.
Tdap vaccine: A reduced-antigen vaccine against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis, used for adolescents and adults. It extends protection beyond childhood with a formulation suited to older age groups.
Acellular pertussis vaccine: A pertussis vaccine made from selected purified bacterial antigens rather than whole killed bacteria. It underlies DTaP and Tdap formulations that replaced classic whole-cell DPT in many countries.
Tetanus toxoid: A detoxified tetanus toxin used as an antigen in vaccines. This component prompts immunity against the neurotoxin that causes tetanus.
Tetanus: A nervous-system disease caused by a toxin produced by Clostridium tetani. It is the third disease named in DPT and a distinct target of the combination.