Parents fear that any small injury or cut on their children can lead to serious consequences. While it is a popular belief that a tetanus shot is required every time your kid gets hurt, doctors refute it completely. “Not every wound needs a tetanus shot, even if it happened due to an iron object,” Dr Deepa Agarwal, a Child Specialist practicing in AIIMS, New Delhi, said on her Instagram. According to Dr Agarwal, you do not need a tetanus shot for every minor scrape, but it is crucial for deeper cuts, punctures, burns, or wounds contaminated with dirt, feces, or saliva. Also, if your children’s vaccinations are up to date, you can rest assured they will not be affected. “If you have got your child vaccinated properly, there is no need to worry.
Children are vaccinated at 1.5 months, 2.5 months, and 3.5 months for DPT,” she added. The DPT vaccine is a combination shot protecting kids from three serious bacterial diseases:
- Diphtheria or throat and breathing infection
- Pertussis or whooping cough
- Tetanus or muscle spasms and lockjaw
“It's given in childhood with boosters, with versions like DTaP (acellular) offering fewer side effects, and Tdap providing reduced-strength boosters for older kids and adults to maintain immunity,” said Dr Agarwal. “The purpose of these routine vaccinations is to ward off prevalent and routine infections,” she added.
Do adults also need to get Tetanus?
According to Dr Agarwal, the life of one tetanus shot is at least ten years. “As compared to popular belief, the tetanus shot does not cover you just for six months, but at least for ten years,” she said. “You need to get it if you have been involved in a major accident, but otherwise, once in five years is enough,” Dr Agarwal added.
What is a tetanus shot?
A tetanus shot is a vaccine that prevents lockjaw – a painful bacterial infection that can be fatal. You usually get a series of tetanus shots in childhood. Since the bacteria that cause tetanus are found in the environment around us - like on metals and in the soil, doctors recommend you get boosters to stay protected throughout adulthood. Providers give you the shot using a thin needle, usually in your upper arm or thigh. The tetanus vaccine is often combined with additional vaccines to protect you from many diseases in a single shot.
How do tetanus shots work?
Like other vaccines, tetanus shots work by training your immune system to recognize something harmful so it has the tools to fight it when it sees it again. Tetanus shots are a toxoid vaccine, which means they contain a weakened version of the toxin released by Clostridium tetani, the bacteria that cause tetanus. The toxoid creates the immune response that protects you if you’re exposed to the bacteria in the future.
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