tetnus ? - research junkies....

[5gifts]

Well, I had the pleasure of thinking seriously about tetnus last week. I had a nasty screw/nail go through my shoe and into the ball of my foot. It was in a piece of wood from the inside of a chicken house - on the ground where cows & horses graze. Since it got me in a pretty callused spot, it made a split - so I got it to bleed a decent bit.

Anyway, the interesting bit of info that intreiges me - is that a very well researched person told me there has never been a case of tetnus in a person who has ever had a tetnus vaccine. So that if you have ever had one in your life - don't worry about it....HMMMM...what do you think?

BTW - when his unvaxed daughter got a nasty wound on some metal, he requested a pediatric single dose non-thermisal tetnus vax....and figures she's good for life...

[carriebft]

The claim is definitely not true, even studies trying to say that not vaccinated leads to tetanus show some vaccine failures:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.or.../full/109/1/e2

[FernG]

"a very well researched person..."

I know a lot of people, including doctors and other medical professionals, who think they are well researched, but they haven't actually read complete (more than just the abstract and conclusions) journal articles about vaccines. I'm wondering where your contact got his/her info. As the PP pointed out, vaccinated individuals do indeed contract tetanus infections but at apparently lower rates than the unvaccinated.

[FernG]

Originally Posted by 5gifts

BTW - when his unvaxed daughter got a nasty wound on some metal, he requested a pediatric single dose non-thermisal tetnus vax....and figures she's good for life...

Is he out of the U.S. or was that very long ago? B/c such a vaccine doesn't exists in the U.S. today. Tetanus is always combined w/ diphtheria for stability.

Also, vaccinating w/ tetanus immediately after an injury is not likely to produce an immune response before the tetanus spores germinate and produce the tetanus toxoid causing the tetanus disease.

[5gifts]

Well, he said that one of his profesors actually said that to him in a long debate. And I had the same reaction about that single dose not being available. But his daughter is young, and he said doctors don't have it, but its available in the hospital. The nurse didn't even beleive such a thing existed - but did find it. She wondered how he knew about it, and he had researched it. He wasn't particularly worried about tetnus on that wound - even the dr said it wasn't at risk. He just wanted her to get that one vax, and that was his opertunity.

I was trying to figure out if I needed to get a TIG. The wound didn't get infected, but I had tight fluid retention-like swelling and shooting nerve-type pain. So I was looking up if this was any indicator to get a TIG in the first 24 hours. But what I found said you would not get any of the symptoms for 7-14 days.

But in Carrie's link, I saw that in the tetnus cases it mentioned TIG being given as early as 24 hours...but then they still had tetnus. I just skimmed through it, so I'll go back - but I wondered if there was any evidence TIG was needed at that point, or if was procautionary in an unvaxed child?

[Yulia_R]

It is my understanding that if she didn't have a tetanus vaccine before this single shot will do NOTHING as far as preventing tetanus due to this wound (Tetanus Immune Globulin (TIG), on the other hand would be a much better choice). In the future, however, the shot MAY (or may not) help her to develop antibodies. But of course, ALL vaccines wear off; that is why kids/people are advises to get boosters.

It looks like this “well-informed” person isn’t that well-informed after all.

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by FernG

Is he out of the U.S. or was that very long ago? B/c such a vaccine doesn't exists in the U.S. today. Tetanus is always combined w/ diphtheria for stability.

Also, vaccinating w/ tetanus immediately after an injury is not likely to produce an immune response before the tetanus spores germinate and produce the tetanus toxoid causing the tetanus disease.

There is a Tetanus Toxoid vaccine that is not combined with diptheria. However it is for use in children over 7 years. It is thimerosol free, but has aluminum. There is also a tetanus Toxoid only booster also for children over 7 The booster has thimerosol in it.

[FernG]

Originally Posted by Marnica

There is a Tetanus Toxoid vaccine that is not combined with diptheria. However it is for use in children over 7 years. It is thimerosol free, but has aluminum. There is also a tetanus Toxoid only booster also for children over 7 The booster has thimerosol in it.

Well, this is interesting news. Anyone know the brand name?

[mkmoro311]

http://www.hpathy.com/diseases/tetan...tment-cure.asp

[Marnica]

Originally Posted by FernG

Well, this is interesting news. Anyone know the brand name?

here are the package inserts

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Biologi.../UCM142732.pdf

http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Biologi.../UCM166873.pdf