Tetanus Vaccine

What is the tetanus vaccine?

The tetanus vaccine is a shot that protects you against the disease tetanus. This disease is rare but it can be fatal. It is an infection caused by bacteria. These bacteria live everywhere in the outdoors, especially in soil. The bacteria can enter your body through a break in the skin, such as a cut. When you are infected, powerful poisons produced by the bacteria cause the muscles to contract uncontrollably in spasms. Tetanus is also called lockjaw because the most common symptom is tightening of the jaw muscles caused by spasms of the neck and jaw muscles.

Why do I need a tetanus shot?

There is no antibiotic treatment for tetanus, so you need to have shots to protect you against the disease. Most adults who develop tetanus are older people who have not had a booster shot for more than 10 years. There are about 100 cases of tetanus each year in the US. Of all people who get tetanus in the US, about 10 to 20% die. Death is most common among older adults who get tetanus.

It is impossible to avoid the cuts and wounds that commonly occur during everyday life. The tetanus bacteria can enter the body through these breaks in the skin and cause a very serious infection. For this reason, it is very important to keep your tetanus shots up to date.

When should I get a tetanus shot?

Most people are first immunized in childhood by a vaccine referred to as DPT. The DPT shot immunizes against diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus. After childhood, you need a booster shot for diphtheria and tetanus every 10 years.

• Complete a 3-shot series if you did not have the shots when you were a child. The second shot is given 4 to 8 weeks after the first, and the third shot is given 6 to 12 months after that.
• You then need a booster shot at least every 10 years.

Whenever you have a dirty cut, animal bite, or puncture wound, check to see when you last had a booster shot. Get another shot within 3 days of the injury if

• The wound is dirty or involves soil or rusty metal AND
• It has been more than 5 years since your last tetanus shot or you do not know when you last had a tetanus shot.

Try to get the shot the same day as the injury if possible. If you cannot get the shot within 1 to 3 days of the injury, get it as soon as you can. The bacteria multiply quickly if they become trapped in a wound and you are not immunized.

Because there have been whooping cough (pertussis) outbreaks over the past several years, there is a new tetanus shot for adults called Tdap. If you are under age 65, you should get the Tdap booster to protect you better against whooping cough as well as tetanus. Because babies are most susceptible to complications from whooping cough, Tdap is especially recommended for adults caring for children, even if it has been less than 10 years since your last booster shot. If you are 65 or older, this new vaccine has not yet been approved for your age.

What other things should I know about tetanus shots?

• You can get a tetanus shot at your healthcare provider's office or at most local health departments.
• Side effects from the shot can include temporary soreness and swelling in the arm where you got the shot. Fever is rare.
• Do not get the shot if you have a fever of 101°F (38.3°C) or higher. However, you can have the shot if you have a mild cold or other minor illness. If you are sick, you might want to discuss your illness with your healthcare provider before getting the shot.
• Do not get the shot if you are allergic to thimerosal (a preservative), or if you have had an allergic reaction to a previous tetanus shot.
• Keep track of when you get booster shots. You should not have the shot more often than every 5 to 10 years because you could become allergic to the vaccine. Then it would be risky for you to have any more shots and you would no longer be protected against tetanus.

You can get more information from your healthcare provider or local health department.