Tetanus: Questions and Answers Q&A information about the disease and

What causes ? plication that can lead to interference with breathing. Tetanus is caused by a () produced by the Patients can also break their spine or long bones from bacterium tetani. The C. tetani convulsions. Other possible complications include cannot grow in the presence of . They produce , abnormal heart rhythm, and secondary spores that are very difficult to kill as they are resistant , which are common because of prolonged to heat and many chemical agents. hospital stays. Obviously, the high probability of is a major How does tetanus spread? complication. C. tetani spores can be found in the soil and in the intestines and feces of many household and farm How is tetanus diagnosed? animals and humans. The bacteria usually enter the The diagnosis of tetanus is based on the clinical signs human body through a puncture (in the presence of and symptoms only. Laboratory diagnosis is not useful anaerobic [low oxygen] conditions, the spores will ger- as the C. tetani bacteria usually cannot be recovered minate). from the wound of an individual who has tetanus, and Tetanus is not spread from person to person. conversely, can be isolated from the skin of an indi- vidual who does not have tetanus. How long does it take to show signs of tetanus after being exposed? What kind of injuries might allow tetanus to enter the body? The varies from 3–21 days, with an average of eight days. The further the injury site is from Tetanus live in the soil, so the most dangerous the , the longer the incubation kind of injury involves possible contamination with period. The shorter the incubation period, the higher dirt, animal feces, and manure. Although we have tradi- the risk of death. tionally worried about deep puncture wounds, in reality many types of injuries can allow tetanus bacilli to enter What are the symptoms of tetanus? the body. In recent years, a higher proportion of cases had minor wounds than had major ones, probably The symptoms of tetanus are caused by the tetanus because severe wounds were more likely to be properly toxin acting on the central nervous system. In the most managed. People can also get tetanus from splinters, common form of tetanus, the first sign is of the self-piercing, and self-tattooing. Injecting drug users jaw muscles, followed by stiffness of the neck, difficulty are also at risk for tetanus. in swallowing, and stiffness of the abdominal muscles. Other signs include , sweating, elevated blood I stepped on a nail in our yard. What should I do? pressure, and rapid heart rate. often occur, Any wound that may involve contamination with teta- which may last for several minutes and continue for nus bacilli should be attended to as soon as possible. 3–4 weeks. Complete recovery, if it occurs, may take Treatment depends on your status and the months. nature of the wound. In all cases, the wound should be thoroughly cleaned. Seek medical treatment immedi- How serious is tetanus? ately and bring your record with you. Tetanus has a high fatality rate. In recent years, tetanus With wounds that involve the possibility of tetanus has been fatal in about 10% to 20% of reported cases. contamination, a patient with an unknown or incom- What are possible complications from tetanus? plete history of tetanus vaccination needs a tetanus- and -containing shot (Td or Tdap) and a dose Laryngospasm (spasm of the vocal cords) is a com- of tetanus immune globulin (TIG) as soon as possible.

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A person with a documented series of three tetanus- was developed around 1921, but it was not widely used and diphtheria-containing shots (Td or Tdap) who has until the 1930s. In 1924, the first tetanus (inac- received a within the last ten years should tivated toxin) was produced and was used successfully be protected. However, to ensure adequate protection, to prevent tetanus in the armed services during World a booster dose of may still be given if it has War II. The first was developed in the been more than five years since the last dose and the 1930s and was in widespread use by the mid-1940s, wound is other than clean and minor. when pertussis vaccine was combined with diphtheria and tetanus to make the combination DTP vac- Is there a treatment for tetanus? cine. A series of 4 doses of whole-cell DTP vaccine was quite (70–90%) effective in preventing serious pertus- There is no "cure" for tetanus once a person develops sis disease; however, up to half of the children who symptoms, just supportive treatment and manage- received the vaccine developed local reactions such ment of complications. The best "treatment" is preven- as redness, swelling, and pain at the injection site. In tion through immunization. 1991, concerns about safety led to the development How common is tetanus in the United States? of more purified (acellular) pertussis vaccines that are associated with fewer side effects. These acellular per- Tetanus first became a reportable disease in the late tussis vaccines have replaced the whole cell DTP vac- 1940s. At that time, there were 500–600 cases reported cines in the U.S. per year. After the introduction of the in the mid-1940s, reported cases of tetanus dropped In 2005, two new vaccine products were licensed for steadily. use in adolescents and adults that combine the tetanus and diphtheria toxoids with acellular pertussis (Tdap) From 2016 through 2018, an average of 30 cases were vaccine. These vaccines are the first acellular pertussis- reported per year. containing vaccines that make it possible to vaccinate Almost all cases of tetanus are in people who have adolescents and adults against pertussis. never been vaccinated, or who completed their child- hood series, but did not have a booster dose in the How are vaccines made that prevent diphtheria, preceding 10 years. tetanus and pertussis? These vaccines are made by chemically treating the What is neonatal tetanus? diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis to render Neonatal tetanus is a form of tetanus that occurs in them nontoxic yet still capable of eliciting an immune newborn , most often through the use of an response in the vaccinated person. They are known as unsterile cutting instrument on the unhealed umbilical “inactivated” vaccines because they do not contain live stump. These babies usually have no temporary immu- bacteria and cannot replicate themselves, which is why nity passed on from their mother because their mother multiple doses are needed to produce . usually hasn't been vaccinated and therefore has no immunity. What’s the difference between all the vaccines Neonatal tetanus is very rare in the United States (only containing diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and 3 cases were reported from 2001 through 2016), but is pertussis vaccine? common in some developing countries. It’s like alphabet soup! Here is a listing of the various products: Can you get tetanus more than once? • DTaP: Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular Yes! Tetanus disease does not result in immunity pertussis vaccine; given to infants and children ages because so little of the potent toxin is required to cause 6 weeks through 6 years. In addition, four childhood the disease. People recovering from tetanus should combination vaccines include DTaP as a compo- begin or complete the vaccination series. nent. When did vaccine first become available for diph- • DT: Diphtheria and tetanus toxoids, without the theria, tetanus, and pertussis? pertussis component; given to infants and children The first inactivated toxin, or toxoid, against diphtheria ages 6 weeks through 6 years who have a contraindi- cation to the pertussis component.

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• Tdap: Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids with acellular Td or Tdap. If a child age 7–9 years did not complete pertussis vaccine; given to adolescents and adults. a primary series in childhood, a dose of Tdap should Pregnant women should receive Tdap during each be given as part of the catch-up schedule, followed by . the routine adolescent dose at age 11–12 years. If the catch-up dose is given at age 10, it can count as the • Td: Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids; given to children adolescent dose. and adults ages 7 years and older. Note the small “d” which indicates a much smaller quantity of All adults should receive a single dose of Tdap as diphtheria toxoid than in the pediatric DTaP formu- soon as feasible. Then, subsequent booster doses of lation. Td or Tdap should be given every ten years. Pregnant teens and women should receive Tdap during each How are these vaccines given? pregnancy. Adolescents and adults who have recently received Td vaccine can be given Tdap without any wait- The DTaP and DT preparations are all given as an injec- ing period. tion in the anterolateral thigh muscle (for infants and young toddlers) or in the deltoid muscle (for older chil- If someone experiences a deep or puncture wound, or dren and adults). Tdap and Td are given in the deltoid a wound contaminated with dirt, an additional booster muscle for children and adults age 7 years and older. dose of either Td or Tdap may be given if the last dose was more than five years ago. If both Td and Tdap are Who should get these vaccines? available and the person has not received a dose of All children, beginning at age 2 months, and adults Tdap since their 7th birthday, give Tdap. It is important need protection against these three diseases—diphthe- to keep an up-to-date record of all so ria, tetanus, and pertussis (). Routine that repeat doses don’t become necessary. Although booster doses are also needed throughout life. it is vital to be adequately protected, receiving more doses than recommended can lead to increased local How many doses of vaccine are needed? reactions, such as painful swelling of the arm. The usual schedule for infants is a series of four doses Who recommends the use of these vaccines? of DTaP given at 2, 4, 6, and 15–18 months of age. A fifth shot, or booster dose, is recommended between The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), age 4 and 6 years, unless the fourth dose was given the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices late (after the fourth birthday). (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and For people who were never vaccinated or who may the American College of Physicians (ACP) all recom- have started but not completed a series of shots, a mend this vaccine. 3-dose series of tetanus-toxoid containing vaccine should be given with 1 to 2 months between dose #1 What side effects have been reported with these and #2, and 6 to 12 months between dose #2 and #3. vaccines? At least one of the doses, preferably the first, should be Local reactions, such as redness and swelling at the Tdap, with either Td or Tdap used for doses #2 and #3. injection site, and soreness and tenderness where the Because immunity to diphtheria and tetanus wanes shot was given, as well as mild systemic reactions such with time, boosters of Td or Tdap are needed every ten as fever, are not uncommon in children and adults. years. Side effects following Td or Tdap in older children and When adolescents and adults are scheduled for adults include redness and swelling at the injection site their routine tetanus and diphtheria booster, (following Td) and generalized body aches, and tired- should they get vaccinated with Td or Tdap? ness (following Tdap). Older children and adults who received more than the recommended doses of Td/ Immunization experts recommend that a dose of Tdap vaccine can experience increased local reactions, Tdap be given to all adolescents at age 11–12 years as such as painful swelling of the arm. This is due to the a booster during the routine adolescent immuniza- high levels of tetanus in their blood. tion visit if the adolescent has finished the childhood DTaP schedule and has not already received a dose of

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Immunization Action Coalition • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651-647-9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4220.pdf • Item #P4220 (6/20) Tetanus: Questions and Answers (continued) page 4 of 4

How effective are these vaccines? A person younger than 7 years who develops encepha- After a properly spaced primary series of DTaP or Td/ lopathy (e.g., coma, decreased level of consciousness, Tdap, approximately 95% of people will have protective prolonged ) not due to another identifiable levels of diphtheria and 100% will have protec- cause within 7 days of administration of a previous tive levels of tetanus antitoxin in their blood. However, dose of DTP or DTaP should not receive another dose antitoxin levels decrease with time so routine boosters of DTaP. DT should be administered for the remain- with Td or Tdap tetanus and diphtheria toxoids are rec- ing doses in the series to ensure protection against ommended every 10 years. Estimates of acellular per- diphtheria and tetanus. If the person is age 7 or older tussis vaccine efficacy range from 80% to 85%, but pro- (including adults) whose encephalopathy followed tection declines as the time since the dose increases. a previous dose of DTP, DTaP, or Tdap, they should receive Td instead of Tdap. Can a pregnant woman receive Tdap vaccine? Certain conditions are precautions to DTaP and Tdap Yes. All pregnant women should receive Tdap during vaccines. A precaution means that a person would usu- each pregnancy, preferably early in the time period ally not receive the vaccine but there may be occasions between 27 and 36 weeks’ gestation. Recent studies when the benefit of immunization outweighs the risk, show that vaccination during pregnancy reduces a for instance during a community-wide outbreak of per- baby's risk of getting pertussis in early infancy by 90 tussis. Precautions include: Guillain-Barré syndrome percent. Because infants are not adequately protected (a rare type of neurological condition) within 6 weeks against pertussis until they have received at least 3 after a previous dose of tetanus toxoid; a severe local doses of DTaP, it is important that all contacts (family reaction (called an ) after a previous members, caregivers) of infants younger than age 12 dose of tetanus or diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine months are vaccinated with Tdap if they haven't previ- (defer vaccination until at least 10 years have elapsed ously received Tdap. If a new mother hasn’t been vac- since the last dose of vaccine that caused the reaction); cinated with Tdap, she should receive it before hospital and a moderate or severe acute illness with or without discharge, even if she is . fever. A person with a mild illness may be vaccinated. A person with a recognized, possible, or potential neu- Who should not receive these vaccines? rologic condition should delay receiving DTaP or Tdap Generally, any person who has had a serious allergic vaccine until the condition is evaluated, treated, and/ reaction to a vaccine component or a prior dose of the or stabilized. vaccine should not receive another dose of the same Can the vaccine cause the disease? vaccine. People who had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of DTaP or Tdap vaccine should not No. receive another dose.

Immunization Action Coalition • Saint Paul, Minnesota • 651-647-9009 • www.immunize.org • www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4220.pdf • Item #P4220 (6/20)