infections
Tetanus
Prevention of Tetanus
Preventing tetanus is far better than treating tetanus. The tetanus vaccine stimulates the body to produce antibodies that neutralize the toxin. But it may take several weeks after vaccination for these antibodies to develop. ( Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to help defend the body against an infection.) There is no separate vaccine just for tetanus. The diphtheria/tetanus toxoids/pertussis vaccine Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine is a combination vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). The DTaP vaccine is one of the Five doses of DTaP vaccine are routinely recommended as a primary series for children. They are given at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15 to 18 months, and 4 to 6 years of age. DTaP is followed by one lifetime booster dose of Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis Vaccine (Tdap) vaccine given at age 11 to 12 years and to people 13 years or over who have never received Tdap or who are unsure about whether they received it. A booster dose containing only tetanus and diphtheria (Td) or Tdap is given to all people every 10 years after that. Pregnant women are given a Tdap booster duringeachpregnancy (preferably at 27 to 36 weeks gestation). This strategy prevents women and newborns from getting tetanus. When pregnant women are vaccinated, antibodies to tetanus are transferred from the mother to the fetus during pregnancy, and the newborn has antibodies to tetanus at birth. Tetanus rarely develops in people who have completed a primary series of a tetanus vaccine and had booster vaccinations every 10 years, as recommended. When people are injured, they can help prevent tetanus by promptly and thoroughly cleaning wounds. People who have been immunized against tetanus in the past and have a wound may be given one dose of tetanus vaccine to prevent tetanus from developing if they have not had a dose of vaccine in the last 10 years (or in the last 5 years if the wound is deep or dirty). If people have not been previously vaccinated, they are given a dose of the vaccine immediately and two more doses one and two months later. In addition, because the vaccine takes weeks to be effective, human tetanus Passive immunization is sometimes given in addition when a wound is deep or particularly dirty. This 