Due to the tetanus vaccine, tetanus is rare in the United States and other developed countries, with around one million cases reported across the world each year. Most cases in the United States occur in people who haven’t received the tetanus vaccination or who haven’t stayed up-to-date on their 10-year booster shots. Before the vaccine, there were more than 500 cases of tetanus reported annually in the United States.
DTaP Vaccine for Children
DTaP vaccination is a shot that combines the vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). The DTaP vaccine creates antibiodies against the tetanus toxin for at least 10 years. The vaccine shot is administered to children in the following way:
One dose each at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months of ageA fourth dose at 15 through 18 months of ageA fifth dose at 4 through 6 years of age
Tetanus Booster Shots
To maintain protection from tetanus throughout life, people need to receive booster vaccines. When children are 11 or 12 years old, they should get a booster vaccine called Tdap (which protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis). Starting at 19 years old, adults need a booster called the Td vaccine (for tetanus and diphtheria) every 10 years. For people who never received Tdap, the vaccine should be given once, before age 65, as a substitute for Td. It’s important to stay up-to-date with your booster shots, especially if you plan to travel to developing countries because tetanus may be more common where you’re visiting. Before traveling, check with your doctor about when you received your last booster shot.
Tetanus Shot in Pregnant Women
Newborn babies whose mothers weren’t immunized can catch a form of neonatal tetanus that usually occurs through infection of the unhealed umbilical stump, particularly when the stump is cut with an unsterile instrument. This form of tetanus causes the death of around 200,000 newborns annually. However, if a mother has been immunized no more than 10 years before becoming pregnant or if she receives the vaccination during her pregnancy, she can protect her baby from tetanus because she passes antibodies to the baby across the placenta. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that pregnant women who received the last dose of a tetanus vaccine more than 10 years prior to becoming pregnant should be immunized with Td during the second and third trimester instead of Tdap. If their last tetanus toxoid-containing vaccine was less than 10 years ago, the CDC says she should wait until after delivery to receive Tdap.
Side Effects of the DTaP Vaccine
A serious reaction to the DTaP vaccine occurs in fewer than 1 in a million children. The most common side effects usually occur in about 1 out of 4 children. These include:
Redness, swelling, and pain where the shot was givenFeverVomiting
Other side effects include the following:
A fever over 105 degrees in 1 out of 16,000 childrenNonstop crying for 3 hours or more occurs in about 1 out of 1,000 childrenSeizures occur in about 1 out of 14,000 children, but do not cause long-term harm
