Who Needs Tetanus Shot?
Since the 1940s, tetanus vaccines have been available, but vaccination (tetanus shot) was not always as ordinary as it today. Today, the tetanus vaccine is part of the standard DTP childhood vaccine. The vaccine for tetanus is a toxoid, an inactivated toxin that initiates the formation of antibodies that neutralize the bacterial toxin. Maintaining a good immunity against the disease requires vaccination every ten years; however, many people think that a single tetanus shot during a life time is enough, which is why many people fail to undergo revaccination and become infected. It is the doctor’s decision whether it is necessary to give tetanus shot to an individual who has a severe wound to provide him protection against tetanus. Typically, there is not enough time to administer the vaccine to create antibodies and stop the progression of the infection, even if tetanus shot is provided as a booster to an immunized patient. Nevertheless, temporary immunity can be given by tetanus immune
