Tetanus vax if you live on a farm - if so, which one?

[happydog]

We live on a farm with assorted livestock including horses and dairy cows. Our cows produce around 20lbs of manure per day. We use manure on the gardens. I am 98% sure we will be non vaxxing, but - tetanus seems prudent to me. Manure management and handling are a big part of our lives. ;) Our land/soil is full of manure, and also has plenty of rusty old scraps of metal/nails/glass, etc.

My kids (10 and 5) were fully vaxxed before we adopted them last year. The five year old is due for his last set before he starts school next year and the ten year old is due for a tetanus booster. I had a tetanus booster 10 years ago and my husband's last one was about 15 years ago.

Once I figure out WHICH tetanus vaccine is the best, I'm going to see if we can't get it at the health dept and get all of us done at once.

What I need to know is

1) which tetanus vaccine has the least amount of aluminum/mercury and the most amount of tetanus?

2) if there is truly some evidence that tetanus is unnecessary I would like to hear it. If I lived in a 5th floor apartment in NYC I would be glad to skip it. But given our living conditions...

Even if there are only 3 deaths a year from tetanus, I'd rather not risk it. But I'm open to having my mind changed. :) Thanks!

[prosciencemum]

There's no mercury in any childhood tetanus vaccine. Without Googling the ingredients of tetanus vaccines from CDC (which I presume you can do for yourself) that's all I can tell you.

I think given your living situation you're absolutely right to choose to vaccinate against tetanus, and I'm sure it will go fine whichever vaccine you choose. 

 Best of luck. :) 

[kathymuggle]

You can use the ingredient calculator here http://www.vaccine-tlc.org/ to figure out how the different vaccines compare in aluminum amounts.  

I would look up if they require a booster or not.  The booster is probably more for the pertussis than the diptheria or tetanus.  They might still be covered by the tetanus shots.    You could have their titres drawn to see if they need a booster.

[Rrrrrachel]

Tetanus does need to be boosted. They were boosting for tetanus long before the booster included pertussis.

[kathymuggle]

Yes, tetanus needs to be boosted. In adults it is every 10 yrs, I believe.  The question is if a  5 year old needs a booster after getting it at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months.  If I when in her shoes, it is something I would research or titre.    

This (from the mayo clinic) says a person is covered for tetanus after 3 shots.  I am not sure if this applies to children as well.  

"An adult who's never been immunized against tetanus should complete the initial tetanus series of three tetanus shots. The first two shots are given at least four weeks apart, and the third shot is given six to 12 months after the second shot. After the initial tetanus series, booster shots are recommended every 10 years"

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tetanus-shots/AN01497

I still suspect the 5th year Dtap is more for pertussis coverage than anything else.    I could be wrong, though.  It is up to the Op to research and figure it out.

Edited by kathymuggle - 1/14/13 at 1:32pm

[Dakotacakes]

I would get the booster.  I also am from the persuasian that Tetnus is nothing to play around with.  I grew up on a farm and my parents still reside there.  Our policy was always that adults got boosters every 8 years.  I got the needed ones for schools AND if anyone stepped on anything dirty that was a risk, we still got a tetnus shot anyway.  My father gets a tetnus shot every three or four years because he works out in it alot and accidents happen.

[kathymuggle]

Dakotacakes…...

Per the CDC pinkbook:

Additional booster doses of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids are required every 10 years to maintain protective antitoxin titers. The first booster dose of Td may be given at 11 or 12 years of age if at least 5 years have elapsed since the last dose of DTaP, DTP, or DT. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recom- mends that this dose be administered as Tdap. If a dose is given sooner as part of wound management, the next booster is not needed for 10 years thereafter. More frequent boosters are not indicated and have been reported to result in an increased incidence and severity of local adverse reactions"

Bolding mine.

[japonica]

The FDA Approved Products page should be a good place to start comparing what's available.

http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/Vaccines/ApprovedProducts/ucm093830.htm

I guess part of the issue will be if you're looking for a stand alone tetanus, DT, or Tdap. Good luck.

[happydog]

I feel like I fell down a rabbit hole.  I can't believe that I have to choose among a variety of toxic chemicals to tease out which combo is LEAST LIKELY to harm my child!  This is freaking nuts! 

I've researched this for days and my head is spinning.  I called the health dept and they have either Adacel or Boostrix for the 10yo.  The best option for the 5yo is Daptacel.  The main thing I wanted to avoid was mercury.  I'm not particularly concerned with Diptheria or Pertussis, I just want the least toxic tetanus vaccine. 

At this point I think my husband and I will go in and get a dose of Adacel.  We're both due for a booster and we're the most "at risk."  I think I'll hold off till summer to do the kids.  The old "buying time" stall.  Maybe by then there will be a new and improved version.  If not, I guess it's Boostrix and Daptacel. 

Thanks for the responses and the links.  I'm so frustrated and disgusted I don't believe we'll be doing any other immunizations.  I'm kind of afraid of what I'll learn about those. 

Oh, one good piece of info I learned was if your insurance won't cover your preference of vaccine, you can request the preferred vaccine and pay the difference yourself.  In our case it was about $50.

Anyhow, thanks for the help.

[Minerva23]

http://www.vaccinetruth.org/page_8.htm

Makes a good read. If you are willing to read through a lot of statistics and draw your own conclusions check out the CDC's own webpage

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6012a1.htm
 

[happydog]

Thanks for the replies.  I haven't gotten them yet and I'm still waffling.  I find good information here and here that makes me seriously NOT want to get any more vaccines PERIOD.  On the other hand I have a neighbor who just lost some prize steers to tetanus and so I still waffle.  I HATE THIS.