Tetanus Toxoid Vaccine
As a child, I was more afraid of tetanus shots than, for example, Dracula - Dave Barry
image by: Keiervel Reign Tacbo Tañedo
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Got Your Tetanus Shot? You May Not Need Another For 30 More Years
The first thought most people likely have when they step on a dirty nail in rotting wood or slice open their hand on scrap metal is a string of colorful expletives as searing pain shoots through their wound. But the second thought—perhaps after stopping the bleeding—may very well be, “When did I get my last tetanus shot?”
The tetanus vaccine prevents the serious infection caused by tetanus bacteria that kills up to one in five people who develop it. Symptoms include muscle stiffness, seizures, fever, headache, stomach or muscle spasms, inability to swallow and a whole body of pain. That’s the bad news.
The good news is, if you had the full series of tetanus vaccine doses as…
Resources
Most adults don’t need booster vaccinations for tetanus and diphtheria, new study concludes
People who got all their vaccinations against tetanus and diphtheria in childhood don’t need booster shots to remain protected against the two rare but dangerous diseases, researchers conclude in a new study that found no difference in disease rates between countries that recommend adult revaccination every 10 years and countries that say completing childhood vaccinations is enough.
Why Do I Need a Tetanus Shot?
I’ve only restarted writing this blog entry about 28 times. I keep asking myself, “do you really want to go there?” Because it’s about vaccines, and anything written about this topic brings out naysayers who *often* refuse actual scientific data. But when the #smartmomma crew calls out an issue to be reviewed, then review it we shall.
What is the difference between DTaP and Tdap vaccines?
Both vaccines contain inactivated forms of the toxin produced by the bacteria that cause the three diseases. Inactivated means the substance no longer produces disease, but does trigger the body to create antibodies that give it immunity against the toxins. DTaP is approved for children under age 7. Tdap, which has a reduced dose of the diphtheria and pertussis vaccines, is approved for adolescents starting at age 11 and adults ages 19 to 64. It is often called a booster dose because it boosts the immunity that wanes from vaccines given at ages 4 to 6.
A Neglected Vaccine
Like many other grown-ups, I hadn’t given any thought to what we used to call the D.P.T. vaccine — for diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus — for decades. I got the shots when I was a child, and I made sure my daughter got them during her childhood immunizations. Every now and then, my doctor tells me it’s time for a tetanus booster, so I get one. That’s enough, right?
Cancer Survival Boosted by Tetanus Shot With Vaccine
A common tetanus booster shot given to patients with a deadly form of brain cancer shortly before an experimental cancer vaccine prolonged their survival, a small study found.
It's Not Just Measles. What You Should Know About Vaccines For Adults
Childhood tetanus shots are combined with a vaccine for diphtheria, a dangerous infection that can affect kids, and one for pertussis, which is known as whooping cough. Your every-10-year tetanus and diphtheria boosters won't include pertussis, unless you're pregnant. But when you turn 65, you should again get the shot that protects against all three, which is known as Tdap.
The Vaccines You Need During Pregnancy
‘For 30 years, no one wanted to touch a pregnant woman with a vaccine.’ Now, they’re indispensable life-savers for both mother and baby.
Why does an old, false claim about tetanus vaccine safety refuse to die?
An old rumour that a tetanus vaccine causing infertility in women is resurfacing, this time in West Africa. Vinayak Bhardwaj explains - as many others have over the last 20 years - why this claim is false and why it’s important to keep debunking it.
Got Your Tetanus Shot? You May Not Need Another For 30 More Years
The good news is, if you had the full series of tetanus vaccine doses as a child or, for those over age 30, any booster in the past several decades, you likely have nothing to worry about. Instead of getting a tetanus booster every 10 years as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends for adults, a new study suggests immunity from the vaccine lasts at least 30 years. That goes for protection against both tetanus and diphtheria, the other disease that the Td booster protects against.
CDC
Vaccines are available that can help prevent tetanus, an infection caused by Clostridium tetani bacteria. Four kinds of vaccines used today protect against tetanus, all of which also protect against other diseases...
Vaccines.gov
Tetanus is an uncommon but very dangerous disease — of every 10 people who get it, as many as 2 will die. Thanks in part to tetanus vaccines, deaths from tetanus in the United States have dropped by 99% since 1947.
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