When are tetanus vaccinated? Do I need to get a tetanus vaccine?

Throughout life, beginning at an early age, any person should definitely get vaccinated against a number of different diseases. Among them, tetanus is an infectious pathology caused by the ingress of microorganisms into the human body called clostridium tetani. The main habitat for these bacteria are soil, saliva and faeces of animals. People get to them through various kinds of open injuries. Of course, the daily life of both children and adults is impossible without trauma, which breaks the integrity of both the skin and mucous membranes. And if in the future the wound is contaminated with soil elements, then in the absence of immunity to tetanus, this can be 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 an anatoxin and a neurotoxin. When immunized against tetanus, these substances enter the bloodstream, activating the immune system and producing protective antibodies.

Combined vaccine

In Russia, in most cases, children are vaccinated, containing two components at once: tetanus and antidiphtheria. They contribute to the formation of immunity immediately to two dangerous for human infections. The first is no different from what is used in single products, the second can be full or low-dose. Pediatricians recommend that parents who think about whether to do the vaccine against diphtheria and tetanus to a child, give preference to exactly the combined vaccines. At the same time, it must be remembered that the drug with the full toxoid content is intended for children under 7 years old, and with low-dose - for older children and adults.

Isolated vaccine

These drugs are used to immunize the population of any age category. It is mandatory to introduce them to pregnant women before delivery, if previously they were not 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 child with protection from infection within two months after birth. Since the age of three months, children are immunized against tetanus.

Very often young parents are interested in how many vaccinations are made from tetanus to children. You should know that in order to form a full immunity to infection, the child is administered five doses of tetanus toxoid vaccine. To small Russian citizens, three of them are held before the age of 1 year, the fourth - at 1.5 years, and the fifth - at 6 or 7 years. Also in our country, it is recommended that revaccination be performed by adults, especially women of childbearing age, every 10 years. This measure helps to ensure immunity to infection during the rest of life.

Is immunization necessary?

The most important question for many is the question: "Is it necessary to get a tetanus vaccination?" This infection is very dangerous, and often ends in a fatal outcome. In 2012, more than 200,000 such cases were recorded on the planet, most of them maternal and infant deaths. Tetanus toxin affects the nerve trunks, which leads to severe convulsions and contractions of all the muscles of the person, including the respiratory. It is her spasm caused by infection that causes the death of the disease in most people.

A tetanus pathogen located in the soil at any contact of the wound surface with dirt is potentially dangerous in terms of the possibility of infection. Immunization reduces these risks to a minimum. 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 areas remote from large settlements.

At the same time, people living in cities are sick no less often than those who settled far away from them. After all, especially children, they fall, they can break their knees or elbows. The children tend to fight, bite and scratch each other. Damage to skin and mucous membranes is not uncommon, and urban dirt, soil, dust and animal feces can get into the wound. If a person is not vaccinated, the probability of infection is high, since the bacteria that cause the infection live in huge numbers in both urban and rural soils, and everyone has a danger of getting sick, regardless of their living environment.

What you need to know about tetanus?

It must be remembered that infection is very easy, the disease is severe, and the likelihood of a fatal outcome is very high. And if after that you are still thinking about whether to do a tetanus vaccination, doctors recommend not to risk your health and life, but to do it without fail.

Do not discount the fact that the disease can lead to death in 10-70% of patients, and the lack of treatment with tetanus toxoid will lead to death with 100% probability. Also, do not forget that if the patient successfully transferred the infection and completely recovered, then there is no guarantee that he will not catch infection again. In other words, a person who has recovered from tetanus once can easily become infected with it again, and a single ingestion of bacteria into the body does not produce immunity to it, as is the case with some other infections.

Therefore, it must be remembered that the only way to form an immunity to tetanus is vaccination. And immunity strengthens a certain number of vaccinations, which are conducted in accordance with the established schedule. This will allow a person not to worry about the risk of infection.

Immunization of adults

Most people, unfortunately, do not know when they are vaccinated against tetanus, than they endanger their health. As mentioned earlier, in accordance with official documents signed by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, vaccination of adults is carried out every 10 years, if earlier people have already been vaccinated. At primary immunization two doses with a break in 1 month between them are entered. A year later, the third vaccination is carried out, which is considered a complete course. After this, it is necessary to introduce the vaccine in accordance with the schedule, which contributes to the acquisition of immunity to tetanus. Students, military personnel, construction workers, diggers, 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 result in the possibility of infection, a preventive dose of the vaccine is mandatory if 5 years after the full immunization schedule expires. In the category of these cases, bites of animals, injuries, frostbite and burns, home birth, surgery on the organs of the digestive tract and criminal abortions. At first glance it may seem that in such a 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, to refuse the introduction of serum is by no means impossible.

Immunization of children

Earlier, we already talked about the fact that a complex immunobiological preparation containing tetanus, antidiphtheria and anti-pertussis components is used to vaccinate a child . In the presence of a strong reaction to the latter, an inoculation with the contents of the first two can be done. The complete course includes itself five doses, which are administered at 3, 4, 5, 6 months, 1.5 years and 6-7 years. After this, there is a formation of resistant immunity to tetanus, and repeated administration is necessary, as already mentioned above, in accordance with the schedule established by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Primarily it is carried out at the age of 14-16 years.

About revaccination

It is not a secret that after the administration of some drugs that produce immunity to a particular infection, a booster is needed. The vaccination against tetanus is no exception. "When they make it to strengthen non-comprehensiveness?" - this is the question that worries the majority of the population. We have already said that the child is given a vaccine in the period from 3 months after birth to 6 or 7 years. If all the vaccinations that constitute the full course have been performed, then this protection lasts 10 years, after which a repeated immunization is required. For an adult, not previously vaccinated, a person requires three doses, two of which are placed with a break of 1 month one after another, and the last one in a year. After this, after 10 years, the administration of the drug is again required. If you are not sure when you need a revaccination, then contact your doctor. He will provide accurate information about how often the tetanus vaccine is given, and will tell you whether you need to do it in the near future.

Where are the injections made?

An important issue is the place of administration of the vaccine. It should be remembered that if the drug is injected incorrectly, it can harm a person and lead to not the most pleasant consequences. Remember that the key to successful immunization is a properly vaccinated tetanus vaccine. "Where do these vaccines make for adults and children?" You ask. First of all, it should be injected only in places with a well-developed muscle layer, where there is practically no subcutaneous fat and the skin is thin enough. For children under 3 years of age, an introduction to the lateral surface of the thigh is recommended. In adults, the ideal place where a tetanus vaccine is given is the deltoid muscle of the shoulder and the area of the back under the scapula. Categorically, the introduction of the vaccine into the buttock is not recommended, since the muscles there are very deep, 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 from where the tetanus vaccination is being made, it depends not only on protecting the immune system from infection, but also on the health of the person as a whole.

Immunization sites

The vaccine can be administered at the polyclinic at the place of residence or work, at the feldsher-midwife stations or medical centers specializing in vaccination of the population. In each of them, only high-quality drugs officially registered and authorized for introduction to the population of the Russian Federation are permitted. Referring to any of these institutions, the patient, when vaccinated against tetanus, can be sure that he is being administered a vaccine, developed in accordance with all sanitary standards of the Russian Federation.

What to do after the injection?

After the procedure of immunization, a person can lead a habitual way of life, and rare vaccination reactions, such as pain in the hand, redness, swelling, tightening, or a formed cone will not cause any harm to the body and will pass independently. The only serious trouble can be a rise in temperature. It should be knocked down, and if it does not subside within a few days, you should see a doctor, since a prolonged fever is not related to the introduction of the vaccine. In the rest, the vaccine is completely safe and does not limit the usual rhythm of life in anything. Nevertheless, it is recommended not to wet the injection site within 2-3 days, and also to refrain from all of the following:

• Drinking alcohol;
• Active sports;
• Swimming in the pool;
• Visiting the sauna and sauna.

After vaccination, a light diet with a maximum level of consumption of warm liquid and a minimum of physical exertion is shown.

Complications

Vaccination rarely leads to various kinds of complications, that is, long and severe disorders. People who are vaccinated against tetanus should be prepared to have anaphylactic shock, urticaria, Quincke's edema, rashes, convulsive activity, dermatitis, pharyngitis and bronchitis, rhinitis, and unpleasant post-vaccination reactions: severe pruritus in place Injections, sweating, diarrhea and intestinal dysbiosis. However, such cases are quite rare.

Contraindications

In view of the low reactogenicity of tetanus vaccines, there are practically no prohibitions on the formulation. They are contraindicated only to those who had allergic reactions or neurologic disorders after the last injection. All the rest is only temporary: periods of recurrence of any diseases, including influenza, ARI; Exacerbation of allergic reactions, diathesis or eczema; Immunodeficiency states; Presence of high temperature. This means that after the condition is normalized, the vaccination is necessary. And, of course, this requires a doctor's consultation, which will tell you exactly when to enter the vaccine.

Those who are still thinking about whether to get a tetanus vaccination, I want to say that this is an obligatory preventive measure for every person, and a timely injection will help to save life and health of yours and your relatives and friends.