How can you prevent tetanus?
You can prevent tetanus by getting all your recommended vaccinations. There are three different vaccines that protect you from tetanus.
- DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis). It's given in a series of 5 shots starting at age 2 months and ending at ages 4 to 6 years.
- Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). Tdap is the first booster shot for tetanus. It's given at age 11 or 12. It's also given to teens and adults who never had the Tdap shot. People who are pregnant can get a Tdap shot during each pregnancy.
- Td (tetanus and diphtheria). Td is given as a booster shot every 10 years.
If you never had tetanus shots as a child, or if you're not sure if you had them, you can get 3 tetanus shots in about a 1-year span. Your doctor will tell you which shots you need. After that, 1 booster shot every 10 years will protect you.
You'll need a tetanus booster right away if you have a dirty cut, wound, or burn and if 5 or more years have passed since your last tetanus shot (or if you aren't sure when your last shot was). The doctor will clean the wound and may give you antibiotics.
Why is it important?
Tetanus is an infection caused by bacteria. The bacteria may enter the body through a wound, cut, splinter, or burn. The bacteria make a toxin, or poison, that can cause severe muscle spasms.
Tetanus is also called "lockjaw" because muscle spasms in your jaw make it hard to open your mouth. This makes it hard to swallow or breathe. Tetanus can be deadly, but you can get the tetanus vaccines to prevent it.
How can you tell if you need a tetanus shot?
To decide if you need a tetanus shot after getting a wound, 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.
You will need a tetanus shot if:
- Your wound was caused by something that was clean, and your last tetanus shot was longer than 10 years ago.
- Your wound was caused by something that was dirty, and your last tetanus shot was longer than 5 years ago.
- You aren't sure if your wound was caused by something clean or dirty, and your last tetanus shot was longer than 5 years ago.
- You aren't sure when you had your last tetanus shot.
- You didn't get the first series of tetanus shots (primary vaccination series).
If you need a tetanus shot, contact your doctor or pharmacy to arrange for a shot.
Some people may need tetanus immunoglobulin (IG) for a wound that is at risk for tetanus. TIG is also used to treat tetanus. TIG is a protein that helps your body fight the toxin, or poison, that the tetanus bacteria makes. TIG doesn't protect you from future tetanus infections. For that, you need to get the vaccine.
What can you do if you have a reaction to a tetanus shot?
If you have a reaction to a tetanus shot, your symptoms may include warmth, swelling, and redness at the site where the shot was given. You may have a fever.
Home treatment can help reduce the discomfort.
- Ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter pain medicine, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve). Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label. Teens should not take aspirin. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a rare but serious illness.
- Put ice or a cold pack on the area for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
