Tetanus and the Vaccine (Shot)

What are the symptoms of tetanus?

• Jaw cramping
• Sudden, involuntary muscle tightening (muscle spasms) – often in the stomach
• Painful muscle stiffness all over the body
• Trouble swallowing
• Jerking or staring (seizures)
• Headache
• Fever and sweating
• Changes in blood pressure and heart rate

What is tetanus?

Tetanus is a serious disease caused by a toxin (poison) made by bacteria. It causes painful muscle stiffness and can be deadly.

When the tetanus bacteria invade the body, they produce a poison (toxin) that causes painful muscle contractions. Another name for tetanus is “lockjaw”. It often causes a person’s neck and jaw muscles to lock, making it hard to open the mouth or swallow.

Is it serious?

Tetanus is very dangerous. It can cause breathing problems, muscle spasms, and paralysis (unable to move parts of the body). Muscle spasms can be strong enough to break a child’s spine or other bones.

It can take months to recover fully from tetanus. A child might need weeks of hospital care. As many as 1 out of 5 people who get tetanus dies.

How could my child get tetanus?

Stepping on nails or other sharp objects is one way people are exposed to the bacteria that cause tetanus. These bacteria are in the environment and get into the body through breaks in the skin.

Tetanus is different from other vaccine-preventable diseases because it does not spread from person to person.

Tetanus bacteria are found in soil, dust, and manure. It gets into the body through breaks in the skin, including:

• Punctures, cuts, or sores on the skin
• Burns
• Animal bites