Tetanus booster shot, UK

[bennevisplace]

In a response to a recent post, healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo... I was alerted to the importance of being up to date with vaccination against Tetanus.

Tetanus is a serious, life-threatening condition caused by bacteria getting into a wound. It's rare in the UK because the tetanus vaccine has been part of the routine vaccination schedule for many years.

Thus reads the official NHS guidance at nhs.uk/conditions/tetanus/ which goes on to say Check with your GP surgery if you’re not sure you’ve been fully vaccinated against tetanus.

When I did check with my GP surgery, however, I was told that a) I last received a tetanus jab in 2008, and b) I would only need a booster jab before travelling to a country where tetanus is considered a high risk; otherwise I could have a tetanus shot if I suffered a wound where tetanus infection would be a risk, such as a dog bite.

I marvel at the depth of medical knowledge of our surgery's telephone receptionists! Nevertheless, she grudgingly agreed to check with the (highly experienced) nurse who oversees vaccinations for the practice. Today I received a text message offering me a tetanus booster appointment on Friday. Gratefully accepted.

The morals of the story:

1. Check your tetanus (and other) vaccination status, because you can't rely on "the system" to do it for you.

2. Read the official guidelines and any exceptions that may apply to you because of your health issues, and post here for advice.

3. Don't accept the first answer you're given if it conflicts with what you believe based on 2 above. Come back here for advice if needed.

[Thundercat2]

Excellent reminder Bennevisplace. Thank you!

[gardening-girl]

A timely post bennevisplace. 24 hours ago I was in an Urgent Care Clinic waiting to be seen by the Physician's Assistant that was on duty. I'd been stabbed by a rusty piece of garden fence that slid about 4cm under the skin on my arm. When the PA came in it was clear that he'd done his homework, checking the date of my last tetanus shot, my CLL diagnosis and the composition of the vaccine. He administered the vaccine, but reminded me that I might not make the necessary antibodies because of my CLL, and told me to head to the Emergency Room if I developed a fever, swelling or sign of an abscess. So far so good; no fever, swelling or abscess!

[bennevisplace in reply to gardening-girl]

Well, I hope that it stays that way and you don't have to go on antibiotics. Garden hazards!

[Pin57]

Way to go Bennie ! Yeah it was your post (n article) plus… my wife’s words to me about checking my tetanus shot (she’s was a longtime RN) as I had cut my head in our house crawl space doing heavy duty flood cleanup work.

Well head is healing, no infections, n for me I had a tetanus booster a couple years ago, so am covered.

Wore my old construction hard hat for that crawl space work, thereafter!

You had a great post Bennie. Highly important for us all to be up to date on tetanus shot.

Thanks again for posting that.

Danny

[SERVrider in reply to Pin57]

That's the trouble Pin57, when working, we follow all the H&S requirements, confined spaces protocols, wearing the correct PPE, emergency extrication plans, and everything is written down. Working at home, we just plough in there and forget everything we learned professionally! Hope the head is better.

[Ashikaga]

Interesting and useful. I was in A&E last year with a dog bite. I was given antibiotics but when I asked about a tetanus jab they said they weren't necessary for dog bites any more.

[bennevisplace in reply to Ashikaga]

Hmmm, again questionable versus NHS published guidance:

Tetanus-prone wounds are described as:

wounds or burns that need surgery, but where removed,

or puncture-type injuries such as animal bites, particularly if they have had contact with soil or manure...

...

nhs.uk/common-health-questi....

[Ashikaga in reply to bennevisplace]

Yes you are right. I was very shaken after my dog attack, the A&E was under a lot of pressure that day with a roughly 6 hour wait, and I'm rather timid of nature. So beyond mentioning I had CLL and enquiring about a tetanus jab, I was just happy to get out of there. With staff under so much pressure it seems difficult to achieve a perfect outcome especially when I don't have full knowledge of the correct protocol.

[bennevisplace in reply to Ashikaga]

To be attacked by a dog must be terrifying, and a long wait in A&E would not have helped calm you down. Wishing you plain sailing from here on.

[Ashikaga in reply to bennevisplace]

Thank you. I'm fine now, though I feel differently about dogs. Too many around for me now- makes me nervous. I was actually attacked while cycling.

[SERVrider]

Why do dogs, who seem normally placid and well behaved go totally mental at pedal cycles and motorbikes?

[SofiaDeo in reply to SERVrider]

Maybe they think bicyclists are just large squirrels....

[bennevisplace in reply to SofiaDeo]

Nuts!

[bennevisplace in reply to SERVrider]

Most of the time, it's the dog acting out its role as defender of the pack against a perceived aggressor. If the owner is walking more than one dog in a group, only one will adopt this counter-attack role (unless they are trained attack dogs). It can be male or female. Some dogs, usually small excitable ones, act out the part by barking ferociously at every other dog that comes within ten yards of the group.

All serious problem behaviour results from the owner (pack leader) allowing it to start in the first place. By failing to read the dog's body language and curtail its first tentative moves, the owner has trained the dog to go further. Once the dog in question gets it into its head that it's OK to see off a cyclist who is bearing down on the group at speed, that dog has licence to lunge and bite. And then any cyclist, near to the group or not, is a valid target.

The counter-attack-dog is difficult to untrain, and the only alternative is for the owner to keep it on the lead, or at least to heel with the lead at the ready.

Glib explanations such as "prey instinct" or "defending territory" don't accord with what I've observed in 20 years, and what I learned from a professional dog-behaviourist. They don't even make sense.

[Rovering_Rose]

I have a question. I am in the U.S. I get a tetanus every 10 years, even before I was diagnosed with CLL. From your post, I guess the U.K. does not. Could you use your CLL to get another jab?

[bennevisplace in reply to Rovering_Rose]

It seems that the UK has stopped routine vaccination against Tetanus. I don't think that having CLL would qualify you for extra shots in between the 10 year cycle. But you could try to make a case, based on your reduced capacity to make antibodies, and hope for a sympathetic response.

[Fran57]

Great advice 😉