#17,404
Although I go out of my way to stay current on influenza, COVID, and pneumonia vaccinations, I confess I haven't received a tetanus booster in 20 years. The last time I thought I might need one, my doctor didn't have any adult doses in the office, and I was just barely 10 years from my last booster.
The incidence of tetanus has declined sharply in the United States since I was a child (see CDC chart below).
Reported tetanus cases have declined more than 95% (see figure below), and deaths from tetanus have declined more than 99% in the United States since 1947.
These declines were in part because of continued use of tetanus antitoxin for wound management and introduction of tetanus vaccines in the 1930s and 1940s. Today, sporadic cases of tetanus continue to occur in adults who have not gotten all the recommended tetanus vaccinations. This includes people who have never received a tetanus vaccine or adults who haven’t stayed up to date on their 10-year booster shots.
While Tetanus is rare, it has been on my mind in recent years, and the following report from New South Wales will hopefully be enough to convince me to pull the trigger and schedule an appointment for a Tdap or Td booster at my pharmacist.
Reminder to stay up to date with Tetanus vaccinations following recent cases in NSW
13 April 2023
NSW Health is urging people to make sure they are up to date with their tetanus vaccinations after three cases in NSW, including one death.
Dr Christine Selvey, Director of Communicable Diseases, NSW Health, urged the community, particularly older Australians, to ensure they are up to date with their tetanus vaccinations.
“Tetanus is a rare, but potentially fatal disease. Vaccination is the best protection against tetanus,” Dr Selvey said.
“In Australia, the disease mostly occurs in older people, usually women, who are inadequately immunised.”
Sadly, NSW Health can confirm a woman in her 80s from Sydney died on 1 April from tetanus. NSW Health expresses its sincere condolences to her loved ones.
This death follows two other notifications of tetanus reported in NSW this year, a woman in her 80s, also from Sydney, and a woman in her 70s from Northern NSW.
These are the first tetanus cases reported in NSW since 2019, and the death is the first due to tetanus since 1993.
“This serves as a reminder for all older Australians to check their tetanus vaccination status. If there is any doubt, speak to your general practitioner about whether you should have a tetanus vaccine,” Dr Selvey said.
In all three cases, tetanus was acquired from a minor wound on the woman’s lower leg that was contaminated by garden soil. Two of the women had no record of tetanus vaccination and the third had a vaccine more than 30 years ago.
Tetanus (sometimes called lock-jaw) is a disease caused by a bacteria found in soil. The bacteria can enter wounds and produce a toxin that attacks a person's nervous system. The disease does not spread person to person.
A three-dose primary course of tetanus vaccinations is offered in infancy under the National Immunisation Program. Adults who have had a primary course of tetanus vaccine should receive booster doses at 50 and 65 years if it has been more than 10 years since the last dose. Adults who have never received a primary course should receive three doses of tetanus-containing vaccine, followed by booster doses after 10 and 20 years.
