What to know about tetanus shots and boosters

Before a vaccine for tetanus was developed, the infection caused many deaths in the United States; now, there are only about a dozen deaths from tetanus each year in the U.S., and those are usually in people who are completely unvaccinated or older people who didn’t get their tetanus booster.
Jamie Kondis, MD, a Washington University pediatrician at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, emphasizes three things about the tetanus vaccine.
• Get the vaccine for your children. Children begin to receive the tetanus vaccine when they’re just a couple of months old.
• Your child will need occasional tetanus boosters. Keep up to date with the boosters.
• If your child injures themselves on a dirty piece of wood or rusty nail, call their pediatrician. They will be able to check your child’s vaccine status right away and let you know if they need to come in for a booster.
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The St. Louis Children’s Hospital UA-cam station is intended as a reference and information source only. If you suspect you have a health problem, you should seek immediate care with the appropriate health care professionals. The information on this website is not a substitute for professional care, and must not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. For help finding a doctor, St. Louis Children's Hospital Answer Line may be of assistance at 314.454.KIDS (5437). The opinions expressed in these videos are those of the individual writers, not necessarily St. Louis Children's Hospital or Washington University School of Medicine. BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine assume no liability for the information contained in this website or for its use.