What Does It Mean to Be Up-To-Date on Your Tetanus Shots?
Do you need another tetanus shot now?
Do you know what it means to be up-to-date on your tetanus shots?
Are you sure?
Most folks probably think that they know what it means to be up-to-date on their tetanus vaccination.
A couple of recent news stories of partially vaccinated people getting tetanus when they thought they were up-to-date leads me to think that there might be some confusion on when they should be getting a booster dose though…
What Does It Mean to Be Up-To-Date on Your Tetanus Shots?
Younger children are usually up-to-date on their routine tetanus vaccines if they are following the immunization schedule.
Still, they might require an extra dose if they get a dirty wound, and it has been more than five years since their last dose or if they haven’t completed their primary series yet (the first 3 doses of DTaP).
What about adults?
Adults get a routine tetanus shot every ten years to be up-to-date, right?
Technically, that’s true - in most cases.
Of course, it isn’t true if you get a dirty wound, and it has been more than five years since your last tetanus shot.
In that case, you would not be up-to-date, even if your last tetanus shot was within the last ten years. Instead, you would need an extra tetanus booster to avoid getting sick with tetanus.
When Do You Need an Extra Tetanus Shot?
Wait, what is a dirty wound?
A dirty wound is a tetanus prone wound that requires an extra tetanus shot if it has been over five years since your last booster and includes:
all wounds, even a splinter, scratch, or abrasion, that is contaminated with dust, dirt, feces, saliva, or soil (remember that tetanus doesn’t really have anything to do with rusty nails - rust just means the nail is old and is more likely to be contaminated with dirt or dust that might be contaminated with tetanus spores, etc.);
all puncture wounds; - these are hard to clean and deposit tetanus spores deep in your body where the bacteria can thrive
all animal bites; - review the need for a rabies shot too
all avulsions wounds (a separation or tearing away creating a flap of skin, etc.);
all wounds resulting from flying or crushing objects;
all burns;
all frostbite; - these last injuries can create a lot of dead tissue in which tetanus bacteria can thrive
Also remember that a wound doesn’t necessarily have to be an injury!
An ingrown toenail or insect bite that gets contaminated with dirt can lead to tetanus if you aren’t up-to-date on your tetanus shots. And again, up-to-date in these cases would be a tetanus shot within the past five years.
On the other hand, if you have a clean, minor wound, you would likely be considered up-to-date, and you might not need an extra test shot, if your most recent tetanus shot was within the last ten years.
What if it was longer than ten years since your last tetanus shot?
Then you are late and should get caught up!
If in doubt whether your wound is clean and minor, or on the timing of your last tetanus shot, go ahead and get vaccinated.
You do not want to end up in the ICU, sick with tetanus…