CPT 90702: DT Vaccine (Diphtheria and Tetanus) for Children - OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 90702: DT Vaccine (Diphtheria and Tetanus) for Children

CPT code 90702 denotes the DT (diphtheria and tetanus) vaccine administered intramuscularly for children younger than 7 years. This childhood immunization code is a core component of pediatric preventive care and immunization schedules nationally, supporting protection against two serious bacterial diseases. The code matters to providers and payers because accurate coding ensures appropriate vaccine tracking, coverage determination, and public health reporting.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise briefing on clinical context and common sites of service, along with benchmarking and policy-relevant considerations where available. The publication outlines coding clarity for immunization billing, highlights payer coverage scope, and summarizes typical clinical settings for administration.

This summary equips clinicians, billing staff, and policy analysts with a clear understanding of what CPT code 90702 represents, why it is used in pediatric immunization programs, and which major payers are relevant for coverage discussions. Data not available in the input are noted where applicable in detailed sections.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare90702CPTDT vaccinepediatric immunizationvaccine administrationpreventive careoutpatientambulatory care

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 90702 represents a DT vaccine product administered intramuscularly to protect against diphtheria and tetanus. This vaccine formulation is intended for children younger than 7 years of age.

Service Type: Immunization / Vaccine administration

Typical Site of Service: Outpatient clinics, pediatric offices, public health clinics, and other ambulatory care settings where childhood immunizations are provided.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 3-year-old child is brought to a pediatric primary care clinic for routine immunizations per the CDC childhood schedule. The child is generally well, with up-to-date well-child visit documentation, parental consent for immunization, and no contraindications such as severe allergic reaction to a prior DT-containing vaccine. The nurse verifies patient identity, reviews the immunization record, screens for acute illness and allergies, and documents informed consent. The DT vaccine is administered intramuscularly in the anterolateral thigh using age-appropriate technique and a single-dose syringe. Post-vaccination observation for 15 minutes is performed to monitor for immediate adverse reactions. Documentation includes vaccine product, lot number, expiration date, anatomical site, route (IM), dose, administrator identity, and vaccine information statement provided. Billing is submitted using 90702 for the DT vaccine for children under 7 years; a visit or evaluation code may be reported separately if clinically appropriate and supported by documentation. Typical sites of service include pediatric primary care offices, community health clinics, public health departments, and walk-in immunization clinics.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`00`	No modifier	Use when no other modifier applies; default reporting.

CPT 90749: Unlisted Vaccine or Toxoid Procedure

cpt-90694-quadrivalent-influenza-adjuvanted-0-5ml-im

CPT 90694: Quadrivalent Inactivated Adjuvanted Influenza Vaccine, 0.5 mL

cpt-90715-tdap-booster-vaccination-age-7-plus

CPT 90715: Tdap Booster Vaccination for Age 7 and Older

cpt-90689-inactivated-adjuvanted-quadrivalent-flu-vaccine-025-ml

CPT 90689: Inactivated Adjuvanted Quadrivalent Influenza Vaccine, 0.25 mL

cpt-90581-anthrax-vaccine-injection

CPT 90581: Anthrax Vaccine, Injectable

cpt-90627-tick-borne-viral-encephalitis-vaccine-0-5ml-im

CPT 90627: Inactivated Intramuscular Vaccine for Tick-Borne Viral Encephalitis

cpt-90734-meningococcal-conjugate-vaccine-menacwy-administration

CPT 90734: Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MenACWY) Administration

cpt-90612-influenza-covid19-combination-vaccine-im-m

CPT 90612: Influenza and COVID-19 Combination Vaccine, Intramuscular

cpt-90733-quadrivalent-meningococcal-polysaccharide-vaccine-subcutaneous

CPT 90733: Quadrivalent Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine, Subcutaneous

cpt-90710-mmrv-vaccine-subcutaneous-administration

CPT 90710: MMRV Vaccine, Subcutaneous Administration

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207P00000X`	Pediatrics	Primary clinicians who administer childhood immunizations.
`261QP0800X`	Family Medicine	Family physicians commonly provide routine childhood vaccines.
`207R00000X`	Pediatric Infectious Disease	Specialists who may administer vaccines in complex cases or consult on contraindications.
`304500000X`	Public Health	Public health nurses and clinics that run immunization programs.
`163W00000X`	Nursing	Registered nurses who commonly administer vaccines in outpatient settings.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`Z23`	Encounter for immunization	Primary billing diagnosis when administering a routine DT vaccine.
`Z00.121`	Encounter for routine child health examination with abnormal findings of growth and development	Use when vaccine is given during a well-child visit that documents findings.
`Z00.129`	Encounter for routine child health examination without abnormal findings	Common accompanying diagnosis for routine immunization during well-child care.
`R50.9`	Fever, unspecified	Relevant when patient has a mild febrile illness noted at visit; vaccine may be deferred depending on clinical judgment.
`Z28.3`	Underimmunization status	Use when documenting incomplete immunization history or need to catch up on DT.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`90460`	Immunization administration through 18 years of age via any route with counseling by physician or other qualified health care professional; first vaccine/toxoid component	Use when counseling is provided and multiple vaccines are administered—first component billing for administration when applicable.
`90461`	Immunization administration through 18 years of age; each additional vaccine/toxoid component	Use for additional vaccines administered during the same encounter after `90460`.
`90471`	Immunization administration (intramuscular, single)	Alternate administration code for a single IM vaccine when payer requires CPT administration codes instead of vaccine-product CPT; used depending on payer billing rules.
`90472`	Immunization administration (intramuscular), each additional vaccine	Used when multiple injectable vaccines are given in the same visit after the first administration code.
`99381`	Initial comprehensive preventive medicine evaluation and management of an infant (new patient)	May be reported when the DT vaccine is given as part of a comprehensive new-patient well-child exam, if documentation supports it.

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