Tetanus

[bluefishy]

Last night my daughter cut her foot on a nail that had a little rust on it. The cut is very tiny, but I'm concerned because she's only had one tetanus shot. We gave her the DTAP at 18 months, she's now 2 years old. I decided after the shot that it wasn't worth the side affects. Does anyone think I should get her a tetanus shot?

[Gitti]

If it were my child I would absolutely not get the shot. But then we haven't gotten any at all and have seen plenty of bumps, cuts and crapes...

Tetanus has always been very rare even before any vaccine was on the market. It actually has not changed much and I have read that the Tetanus vaccines is ineffective anyway. Maybe that's why they can't decide whether a person should have it every 20 years or every 5 years. I think now they suggest every 10 years. And it's been extremely diluted because it has caused some problems.

Tetanus can only grow in an oxygen free environment. So it the would is exposed to air or any blood at all, even a few drops, there is no chance of the tetanus spores (which are everywhere) to develop into the tetanus bacteria.

[FernG]

My unvaccinated daughter has gotten many cuts, scrapes, and splinters in our garden. Have you researched tetanus statistics? Very few children get it. The conditions that allow tetanus to develop are very rare. Of the children who have developed it in my lifetime, some were vaccinated, a few needed to use a ventilator in the hospital, and all recovered. There are several journal articles breaking down the stats floating around this forum.

[LizD]

It would have to be a pretty deep puncture wound, so that the bacteria were sealed inside. If a wound bled well, it would indicate that the mechanics of bleeding washed the bacteria out- not that the exposure to oxygen (which in blood is bound to hemoglobin) killed the organisms. In addition, since the spores are very hardy, and can exist in the presence of oxygen, it is precisely if the *spores* enter the deep wound that they can then re-enter the vegetative state as active bacteria, which then lyse and release the toxin.

There are more than 300,000 cases of tetanus world-wide, but few in the US. Most of us are very careful about wound hygiene now, and the injury you describe is just not likely to be infected with C. tetani. When people worried about rusty nails, it was deep cuts with very, very rusted nails that had lain in the earth, for instance. Or heavily-manured soils getting into deep gashes with scythes. Not something your toddler needs to worry about (although after 13 years of not vaccinating, when we moved to farm country I will admit that we all got tetanus shots!).

[Gitti]

Even in the Civil war, when injured soldiers were laying next to wounded horses very few died of tetanus.

There is an unusual tradition in some African tribes, they cover the umbilical cord stump of a newborn with hay and dirt from the ground. Many of those children die of tetanus. That is where the story, that kids can die of tetanus comes from.

We are not in danger of tetanus.

[craft_media_hero]

Uggh. I got a tetanus shot about 6mo ago when I stepped on a nail at my crazy labor farm job. I don't know why I did it----I had visions of lockjaw! I probably would've been fine, but I was paranoid.

Anyways, I still have a hard bump under the skin where the vax was injected, and it freaks me out!! I wonder if there's a lump of heavy metals just sitting there EEK!!

I can't really give you any advice about the shot for your daughter. I was really confused about vax for my lil one and ended up allowing myself to be pressured into getting almost all of them, which I now regret. Definitely will re-think the vax ? if and when we have another.

[kiara7]

Tetanus spores are everywhere - not just rusty nails, every surface you can think of they are there.

Case in point. The other day I had trouble keeping my balance and stepped on something metal and cut the bottom of my foot. It was ugly, didn't bleed much. I cleaned it with water and forgot about it. Later on I looked at it and it was black (I've been running in and out of the house) and I thought "aha, I guess I should be worrying about tetanus right about now. Or not!" I'm still here, no tetanus. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we're programmed (brainwashed) to think "VAX! You'll die from tetanus!" but the reality is that it is so rare and it has to be very specific circumstances that the vast majority of us are not going to encounter in our lives EVER.

[Gitti]

Originally Posted by craft_media_hero

I got a tetanus shot about 6mo ago ..
Anyways, I still have a hard bump under the skin where the vax was injected,

From what I've read the lump is from the aluminum that is the adjutant in the vaccine. It may take a long time to dissipate.

[Magali]

At the time of injury the tetanus vax will probably be useless in preventing tetanus. If there is a real concern for tetanus in an unvaxxed/"undervaxxed" person, the tetanus immunoglobulin should be considered. From your post it doesn't sound as though there is a real concern for tetanus.

[bluefishy]

Thank you so much mamas! I decided not to get the shot.

[Marnica]

I wouldn't get my son one in those circumstances. Besides she has had a Dtap already. I wouldn't worry about it