I have seen this issue come up here before. Can you tell me what is wrong with the tetanus shot? What should someone do who has been injured? Is it lockjaw that you can get? I don't imagine that would be very pleasant either.
Follow Ups:
Re: tetanus shot
Posted by Walt Stoll on November 11, 1998 at 11:44:15:
In Reply to: tetanus shot posted by Dawn G. on November 10, 1998 at 13:34:24:
Dear Dawn,
Watch this discussion since the whole story is likely to come out as what REALLY happened is revealed.
Walt
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Re: tetanus shot
Posted by Mari Hall on November 14, 1998 at 21:12:19:
In Reply to: Re: tetanus shot posted by Walt Stoll on November 11, 1998 at 11:44:15:
What is the suspense here? and what "story is to come out"?
What REALLY happened?
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Re: tetanus shot
Posted by Walt Stoll on November 15, 1998 at 10:32:50:
In Reply to: Re: tetanus shot posted by Mari Hall on November 14, 1998 at 21:12:19:
Dear Mari,
I was hoping that you already knew about tetanus toxiod boosters (active immunization) and tetanus antitoxin (serum)----passive immunzation. That way I could save the typing:
Tetanus toxoid is an extract of the tetanus bacterium that, in very small doses, teaches your own immune system to make antibodies to this organism. THEN, if you are exposed, your immune system immediately attacks the germ & kills it before it can take root & kill you. You need three shots of this stuff, about a month apart, to have a basic immunity. Then, about every 10-17 years, you need a "booster" to keep your immunity functional If you wait more than 17 years before boosting, you have to start the basic three all over again.
For those who have not been immunized (or have not had a booster in more than 17 years) the only way to give them immediate protection is to borrow it from someone else. Once a person has been immunized, s/he has high levels of anti-tetanus antibodies in their blood. We know how to separate out the antibodies & put them in a bottle. This is now called tetanus anti-toxin and can be used on the spot for those not immunized.
Unfortunately, this is a serum to which some people develop an sort of "serum sickness". Nothing like this happens with the toxoid. What you are describing is a sort of serum sickness.
Tetanus anti-serum will afford protection to the tetanus in the person who got it for about 3-4 weeks. In the meantime, if the person wants immunity, they have to do the series & boosters of the toxoid. Since this takes at least 3 months, it cannot be used for protecting the person who has just been injured.
Questions?
Walt
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Re: tetanus shot
Posted by Patty Schram on November 20, 1998 at 20:52:47:
In Reply to: tetanus shot posted by Dawn G. on November 10, 1998 at 13:34:24:
I was just wondering is there any danger to recieve a tetanus shot while you are pregnant. My sister received one and later realized she was pregnant?
Follow Ups:
Re: tetanus shot
Posted by Walt Stoll on November 21, 1998 at 09:28:15:
In Reply to: Re: tetanus shot posted by Patty Schram on November 20, 1998 at 20:52:47:
Dear Patty,
See my note about this to Mari this week. If it was a hyperimmune serum shot, perhaps. If a tetanus toxoid "booster" , not.
Walt
Re: tetanus shot
Posted by Mari Hall on November 22, 1998 at 12:51:41:
In Reply to: Re: tetanus shot posted by Walt Stoll on November 15, 1998 at 10:32:50:
No. I didn't know the difference. I just knew it had been since I was a child since I had a tetanus "shot" (must have been 50 years ago)after stepping on a nail at my grandmother's house. Therefore, I have no way of knowing what they gave me, more especially since I specifically wrote in large capital letters on my admittance papers: "No vaccines, no medications without express permission in writing by the patient". The drug addicts/med personnel in this hospital brought pain med around every four hours and I refused it, wonder where it went??