Throughout life, from an early age, any person must be vaccinated against a number of different diseases. Among them, tetanus is an infectious pathology caused by the ingestion of microorganisms called Clostridia (lat. Clostridium tetani) into the human body. The main habitat for these bacteria is soil, saliva, and animal excrement. But they get to people through various kinds of open injuries. Of course, the daily life of both children and adults is impossible without injuries that violate the integrity of both the skin and mucous membranes. And if in the subsequent wound is contaminated with soil elements, then in the absence of immunity to tetanus, this can become an impetus for the development of infection.
In order for the human body to develop immunity to the disease, it is necessary to introduce special vaccines containing toxoid and neurotoxin. When a tetanus vaccine is given, these substances enter the bloodstream, activating the immune system and producing protective antibodies.
Combination vaccine
In Russia, in most cases, children are vaccinated with two components at once: tetanus and diphtheria. They contribute to the formation of immunity immediately to two infections dangerous to humans. The first is no different from what is used in single preparations, the second can be full or low dose. Pediatricians recommend that parents who think about whether to be vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus with a child give preference to combination vaccines. It should be remembered that a drug with a full toxoid content is intended for children under 7 years of age, and with a low dose - for older children and adults.
Isolated vaccine
These drugs are used to immunize a population of any age category. Mandatory is their introduction to pregnant women before childbirth, if they had not previously been vaccinated against tetanus. Such a measure reduces the risk of both maternal and neonatal (infant) tetanus to almost zero. In addition, tetanus antibodies are transmitted from mother to newborn, which provides the baby with protection against infection for two months after birth. Starting from the age of three months, children are immunized against tetanus.
Very often, young parents are interested in how many vaccinations are given to children for tetanus. You should know that in order to form a complete immunity to infection, a child is given five doses of tetanus vaccine. For young citizens of Russia, three of them are held under the age of 1 year, the fourth - at 1.5 years, and the fifth - at 6 or 7 years. Also in our country, revaccination is recommended for adults, especially women of childbearing age, every 10 years. This measure helps to ensure immunity to infection throughout the rest of your life.
Do I need immunization?
Perhaps the most important question for many is: “Do I need to get a tetanus shot?” This infection is very dangerous, and often fatal. In 2012, more than 200,000 such cases were recorded on the planet, with the majority being maternal and infant deaths. Nerve trunks are affected by tetanus toxin, which leads to severe cramps and contractions of all human muscles, including the respiratory one. It is her spasm caused by the infection that causes the death of the disease in most people.
The causative agent of tetanus in the soil at any contact of the wound surface with dirt is potentially dangerous from the point of view of the possibility of infection. Immunization minimizes these risks. It is relevant for those groups of both adults and children who work and live in constant contact with the soil. These are employees of agricultural enterprises, residents of distant areas from large settlements.
At the same time, people living in cities get sick less often than those who settled away from them. After all, especially children, they fall, they can break their knees or elbows. Kids tend to fight, bite and scratch each other. Damage to the skin and mucous membranes are not uncommon, and city dirt, soil, dust and animal feces can get into the wound. If a person is not vaccinated, then the likelihood of infection is high, since the bacteria that cause the infection live in large numbers in both urban and rural soil, and everyone has a risk of getting sick, regardless of the environment.
What you need to know about tetanus?
It must be remembered that infection occurs very easily, the disease is difficult, and the likelihood of death is very high. And if after this you are still considering whether to get a tetanus vaccine, then doctors recommend not to risk your health and life, but to do it without fail.
Do not neglect the fact that the disease can lead to death in 10-70% of patients, and the absence of treatment with tetanus toxoid will lead to death with a 100% probability. Also, one should not forget that if the patient successfully suffered an infection and fully recovered, then there is no guarantee that he will not become infected again. In other words, a person who has had tetanus once can easily get it again, and a single bacterial exposure to the body does not develop immunity to it, as is the case with some other infections.
Therefore, it must be remembered that the only way to develop tetanus immunity is through vaccination. Moreover, immunity strengthens a certain number of vaccinations, which are carried out in accordance with the established schedule. This will allow the person not to worry about the risk of infection.
Immunization of adults
Most people, unfortunately, do not know when they are being vaccinated against tetanus, which puts their health at risk. As mentioned earlier, in accordance with official documents signed by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, adults are vaccinated every 10 years, if a person has already been vaccinated before. During primary immunization, two doses are administered with a break of 1 month between them. After a year, the third vaccination is carried out, which is considered the full course. After this, the vaccine must be administered in accordance with the schedule, which contributes to the acquisition of tetanus immunity. Students, military personnel, construction workers, excavators, railway workers, as well as those who live in regions with unfavorable epidemiological conditions for tetanus, must be vaccinated.
Emergency vaccination
If situations arise that may result in infection, a prophylactic dose of the vaccine is introduced if 5 years have passed after the full course of immunization. The category of these cases includes animal bites, injuries, frostbite and burns, childbirth, operations on the digestive tract and criminal abortions. At first glance, it might seem that in a similar situation, especially after vaccination, tetanus vaccination is not necessary. When they do it in one of the above cases, the patient can be sure that he will not get sick. Therefore, in no case should one refuse to administer serum.
Immunization of children
We have already said that a complex immunobiological preparation is used to vaccinate a child with anti-tetanus, anti-diphtheria and anti-pertussis components. In the presence of a strong reaction to the latter, a vaccination can be given containing the first two. The full course includes five doses that are administered at 3, 4, 5, 6 months, 1.5 years and 6-7 years. After this, formation of persistent immunity to tetanus occurs, and re-introduction is necessary, as mentioned above, in accordance with the schedule established by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Initially, it is carried out at the age of 14-16 years.
About revaccination
It is no secret that after the introduction of certain drugs that develop immunity to a particular infection, revaccination is necessary. Tetanus shots are no exception. "When do they do it to strengthen immunity?" - This is a question that worries the majority of the population. We have already said that a vaccine is given to a child from 3 months after birth to 6 or 7 years. If all vaccinations that make up the full course have been given, then this protection lasts 10 years, after which re-immunization is required. For an adult who has not previously been vaccinated, three doses are required, two of which are given with a break of 1 month after each other, and the last one after a year. After that, after 10 years, the drug is again required. If you are not sure when you need revaccination, then contact your doctor. He will provide accurate information about how often a tetanus shot is given and will tell you if you need to get it in the near future.
Where do they inject?
An important issue is the place of administration of the vaccine. It should be remembered that if the drug is entered incorrectly, it can harm a person and lead to not the most pleasant consequences. Remember that the key to successful immunization is a good tetanus shot. “Where do adults and children get this vaccine?” - you ask. First of all, it should be introduced only in places with a well-developed muscle layer, where there is practically no subcutaneous fat and the skin is quite thin. For children under 3 years of age, an introduction to the lateral thigh is recommended. In adults, the ideal place to be vaccinated against tetanus is the deltoid muscle of the shoulder and the back area under the shoulder blade. The introduction of the vaccine into the buttock is strongly not recommended, since the muscles lie very deep there, while the subcutaneous fat layer is well developed. In this case, there is a risk of injecting the drug not intramuscularly, but subcutaneously. Remember that not only the protection of the immune system against infection, but also the health of a person as a whole depends on where they are vaccinated against tetanus.
Immunization Points
The vaccine can be administered at the clinic at the place of residence or work, at feldsher-obstetric centers or medical centers specializing in vaccinating the population. In each of them, only high-quality drugs are officially registered and approved for administration to the population of the Russian Federation. Turning to any of these institutions, the patient, when vaccinated against tetanus, can be sure that he is being given a vaccine developed in accordance with all sanitary standards of the Russian Federation.
What to do after the injection?
After the immunization procedure, a person can lead his usual lifestyle, and rare vaccination reactions, such as pain in the arm, redness, swelling, thickening, or a formed bump will not cause any harm to the body and will go away on their own. The only serious nuisance can be a rise in temperature. It needs to be knocked down, and if it does not subside within a few days, you should consult a doctor, since prolonged fever is in no way associated with the introduction of the vaccine. Otherwise, the vaccine is completely safe and does not limit the usual rhythm of life. Nevertheless, it is recommended not to wet the injection site within 2-3 days, as well as to refrain from all of the following:
- alcohol intake
- active sports;
- swimming in the pool;
- visit to the bath and sauna.
After vaccination, a light diet with a maximum level of warm fluid intake and a minimum of physical activity is indicated.
Complications
Vaccination rarely leads to various kinds of burdens, that is, prolonged and severe disorders. People, when vaccinated against tetanus, should be prepared for the possibility of anaphylactic shock, urticaria, Quincke's edema, rash, convulsive activity, dermatitis, pharyngitis and bronchitis, rhinitis, as well as unpleasant post-vaccination reactions: severe itching in place injections, sweating, diarrhea and intestinal dysbiosis. However, such cases are quite rare.
Contraindications
Due to the low reactogenicity, tetanus vaccines have virtually no prohibitions on formulation. They are contraindicated only for those who have had allergic reactions or neurological disorders after the last injection. Everything else is only temporary: periods of relapse of any disease, including influenza, acute respiratory infections; exacerbation of allergic reactions, diathesis or eczema; immunodeficiency states; the presence of high temperature. This means that after the condition normalizes, vaccination is necessary. And, of course, before this, you need to consult a doctor who will tell you exactly when to introduce the vaccine.
Those who are still thinking about whether to get a tetanus vaccine, I want to say that this is a mandatory preventive measure for every person, and an injection made in time will help to preserve the life and health of both yours and your family and friends.