Tetanus Shot Information

Tetanus is a serious condition that is also known as lockjaw. It is caused by a toxin called clostridium tetani and results in muscle tightening that is painful and may occur over your entire body. It results in the "locking" of your jaw, preventing you from opening your mouth and from swallowing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about one in 10 cases results in death. Vaccines are given to prevent tetanus.

Vaccine

• Tetanus is prevented by the administration of four combination vaccines. They include DTaP, Tdap, DT and Td. The other diseases prevented with these are diphtheria and pertussis. DTap and DT are administered to children under the age of 7. Tdap and Td are for older children and adults. In some cases, an addition tetanus shot may be given. For example, if you have a deep wound or a dirt-contaminated wound and your last booster was longer than five years earlier, your doctor may want to give you another booster for protection.

Dosage

• Five doses of DTap are given to children at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months and at 4 to 6 years, except in cases where the fourth dose was administered after the age of 4. (If your child cannot tolerate the vaccine for pertussis, DT will be administered instead.) Children at the age of 11 or 12 are given one dose of Tdap. A booster shot of Td is given every 10 years.

Side Effects

• Most children do not experience any side effects. However, side effects associated with a tetanus vaccination include soreness, swelling and redness at the site of the injection, fussiness in babies, fatigue, loss of appetite and vomiting. Adults may experience the same type of irritation at the site of the injection, body ache, fatigue and headache.

Safety

• Vaccines are test for safety by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are licensed for use. In addition, they continue to be monitored by the FDA. According to the CDC, the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting Systems accepts reports of problems that result from vaccinations to determine if additional study is needed.

Warnings

• Children with moderate or serious illnesses should not receive the DTaP vaccine until they are well. If your child experiences an allergic reaction to this vaccine, they should not receive another shot. Td and Tdap vaccines should not be given to anyone who experienced an allergic reaction to any of the four vaccines. In addition, anyone who is ill should not receive the Td or Tdap vaccine until they have recovered.