When do need a tetanus shot

Public health unit staff will talk to the treating doctor and patient or their carer to identify risk factors that the patient may have, and to enquire about vaccination history. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Please enable scripts and reload this page. Skip to content Contact us Emergency information. Last updated: 07 January What is tetanus?

What are the symptoms? Early symptoms of tetanus include: painful muscle spasms that begin in the jaw lock jaw stiff neck, shoulder and back muscles difficulty swallowing violent generalized muscle spasms convulsions breathing difficulties. How is it spread? Tetanus is not passed on from one person to another. Who is at risk? In Australia, tetanus mostly occurs in older adults who were not adequately immunised. How is it prevented?

Tetanus can be very dangerous and can cause death. The best way to prevent the disease is to have a tetanus shot if you need one. To decide if you need a tetanus shot, first decide if the object that caused the wound was dirty or clean.

An object is dirty if it has dirt, soil, spit, or feces on it. A clean object does not have dirt, soil, spit, or feces on it. If you need a tetanus shot, call your doctor to arrange for a shot. Some people may need tetanus immunoglobulin IG for a wound that is at high risk for developing tetanus. The immunoglobulin is usually only needed if you have not or do not know if you have completed the tetanus primary vaccination series.

If you have a reaction to a tetanus shot, your symptoms may include warmth, swelling, redness at the site where the shot was given or a fever. Home treatment can help reduce the discomfort. Talk to your doctor or public health nurse before you give medicine to reduce a fever in a baby who is 3 months of age or younger.

This is to make sure a young baby's fever is not a sign of a serious illness. The exception is if your baby has just had an immunization. Fevers sometimes occur as a reaction to immunizations. We know that even if antibodies are present, low levels may not always be protective. Even though this study was well executed and raises some important questions, further studies are needed to examine whether a childhood vaccination series offers lifelong protection without repeated adult boosters.

Even though it happens rarely, people can still get tetanus and experience serious or deadly effects. There is no cure for tetanus, and no definitive proof that you will have lifelong immunity with childhood vaccinations alone. So for now, the CDC continues to recommend booster vaccines every 10 years to help your immune system protect against these infections.

If you have questions about the tetanus and diphtheria vaccine, talk to your doctor. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.

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Get helpful tips and guidance for everything from fighting inflammation to finding the best diets for weight loss Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Some people may need tetanus immunoglobulin IG for a wound that is at high risk for developing tetanus. The immunoglobulin is usually only needed if you have not or do not know if you have completed the tetanus primary vaccination series. If you have a reaction to a tetanus shot, your symptoms may include warmth, swelling, redness at the site where the shot was given or a fever.

Blahd Jr. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: William H. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.

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