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Last verified: April 2026
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Abbreviations and naming

What is the abbreviation for a tetanus shot?

For adults and adolescents the tetanus shot is abbreviated Tdap or Td; for children under 7 it is DTaP. The uppercase and lowercase letters are not a typo, they encode the dose strength of each component.
Cost data verified: April 2026
Direct answer

The tetanus shot an adult or teenager gets is abbreviated Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis) or Td (tetanus, diphtheria). A child under 7 gets DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, acellular pertussis). In every abbreviation the capital T is the tetanus component.[1]

Every tetanus abbreviation, with its full name

AbbreviationFull nameWho it is forStatus in the US
TdapTetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccineAdolescents and adults (age 7+)In use; brands Boostrix, Adacel
TdTetanus and diphtheria vaccineAdolescents and adults (age 7+)In use; only brand is Tenivac
DTaPDiphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccineChildren under 7In use; brands Daptacel, Infanrix
DTDiphtheria and tetanus toxoids (pediatric, no pertussis)Children under 7 who cannot have pertussisNo longer available[1]
TTTetanus toxoid (standalone)Historical; replaced by Td and TdapNo longer available[1]

A related abbreviation, TIG, is not a vaccine: it is tetanus immune globulin, an antibody product given alongside the booster for a dirty or severe wound when prior immunity is in doubt. It is administered at urgent care or an ER, not a pharmacy.

The uppercase and lowercase convention

The letters follow a fixed rule: uppercase means a full-strength dose, lowercase means a reduced dose. A full capital T for tetanus appears in all of them because the tetanus component is full strength in every formulation.

  • DTaP — uppercase D and T are full-strength diphtheria and tetanus for a child’s unprimed immune system; aP is acellular pertussis.
  • Tdap — uppercase T is full-strength tetanus; lowercase d and ap are the reduced diphtheria and pertussis doses an adult booster needs.
  • Td — uppercase T full tetanus, lowercase d reduced diphtheria, no pertussis.

The lowercase a in DTaP and Tdap stands for acellular (the modern, lower-side-effect form of the pertussis component) and is not a dose indicator.

So which abbreviation is “the tetanus shot” you need?

For a routine 10-year adult booster, or a booster after a wound, the shot is Tdap the first time (so you also get pertussis protection) and Tdap or Td for repeat boosters.[2] During every pregnancy, ACIP recommends Tdap at 27 to 36 weeks.[3] Children under 7 follow the DTaP primary series. The full decision tree walks through age, pregnancy, and wound scenarios.

What each costs

Whatever the abbreviation, the price is similar. A Tdap booster runs about $48 to $95 cash across major US pharmacy chains, or $0 with most ACA-compliant insurance in-network. The CDC private-sector contract price for Tdap is about $49 per dose (Boostrix $48.75, Adacel $49.20).[5] Td (Tenivac) runs roughly $40 to $80 cash. See the pharmacy price comparison and free-shot pathways for the cheapest route.

Adjacent reading

FAQ

Tetanus shot abbreviation FAQ

What is the abbreviation for a tetanus shot?

For adults and adolescents, the tetanus shot is abbreviated Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) or Td (tetanus and diphtheria). For children under 7 it is DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis).

Tdap and Td are the two abbreviations that apply to the routine adult tetanus booster most people mean by “a tetanus shot.”

Is the tetanus shot Tdap or Td?

Both are tetanus shots for adults. Tdap also protects against pertussis (whooping cough) and is the preferred booster, especially during pregnancy and after a dirty wound. Td covers only tetanus and diphtheria and is sometimes used for a routine 10-year booster when Tdap was given recently.

See Tdap vs Td vs DTaP for the full decision tree.

Why are some letters uppercase and some lowercase?

Uppercase letters mean a full-strength antigen dose; lowercase letters mean a reduced dose. DTaP (uppercase D and T) is the full-strength childhood vaccine. Tdap has full-strength tetanus (uppercase T) but reduced diphtheria and pertussis (lowercase d and ap), because an adult’s already-primed immune system needs only a booster dose. The lowercase “a” stands for acellular and is not a dose indicator.

What does TT or DT mean on an old vaccine record?

TT is tetanus toxoid, the older standalone tetanus vaccine, and DT is the pediatric diphtheria-and-tetanus vaccine (no pertussis). CDC lists both as no longer available in the US;[1] they have been replaced by Td and Tdap for adults and DTaP for children. You may still see TT or DT on an older immunization record.

Primary sources

References cited on this page

  1. [1]Abbreviations of Vaccines and Other Immunizing Agents. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed June 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/vaccines-us/abbreviations.html
  2. [2]Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule by Age, United States, 2026. CDC ACIP. 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/adult.html
  3. [3]Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) Vaccine Information Statement. CDC. Accessed June 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/current-vis/tdap.html
  4. [4]Td (Tetanus, Diphtheria) Vaccine Information Statement. CDC. Accessed June 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/current-vis/td.html
  5. [5]CDC Vaccine Price List, private-sector and CDC contract prices. CDC. Accessed June 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-for-children/php/price-list/index.html