Tetanus - make sure your up to date

[Xaltu]

I had regular jabs every 3 years, only to be told when I went back for the booster to comeback after 5 years. When I went back I was told 10 years. After 10 years I was told to go away as I had had more than enough jabs for life.

[Gnarlyoak]

This is an excert from the NHS direct website regarding Tetanus vaccinations, which hopefully should clarify the situation. If you've had 5 or more shots, you should'nt need any more for the rest of your natural, unless you go some far flung cesspit part of the world where primary health care is not an option!

 

"The full course of the tetanus vaccine consists of five doses. The primary course consists of three injections, which provide protection against the infection for a number of years. The fourth and fifth doses are booster doses, which help maintain protection.

 

After the fifth dose, immunity remains for life and further boosters are not usually required, unless there is doubt about a person’s vaccination history or you are travelling to a remote area of the world where treatment for a tetanus infection may not be readily available."

 

Here's the link should you want to know more! http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Tetanus/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Edited September 14, 2011 by Gnarlyoak
Link added

[Ian Leach]

People say every ten years, but my doc said you only need it once as it lasts for life.

[blazer]

went for a tetanus jab recently and was told by the nurse if you have had 5 or more jabs in your lifetime your ok unless your going abroad somewhere like egypt.

 

My wife is a nurse and that's what she told me, yrs ago everytime you went to A+E they gave you a jab.

 

At that time I was told Oxfordshire is like a giant dung heap = high risk of catching it. There are so many infections like Leptospirosis, which I caught yrs ago that are a risk of broken skin infections, plus many others.