When to get a tetanus shot

Tetanus is a specific infection in which the tetanus bacterium invades the body and produces toxins that cause paroxysmal muscle spasms and even death, and its incubation period is usually 7-8 days. The incubation period is usually 7-8 days. If necessary, intramuscular injection of tetanus antitoxin is required, which is often referred to as tetanus injection, so when is the best time to get a tetanus injection?

When is the best time to get a tetanus shot?

The cause of tetanus is mainly due to the toxin secreted by the tetanus bacillus can cause harm to the human body, tetanus antitoxin can only neutralize the free toxin in the blood, if the toxin has been combined with the cells of the tissue, although not developed to the emergence of clinical symptoms, but also can not be neutralized by the antitoxin, so whether prevention or treatment must be given as soon as possible. Therefore, it must be given as early as possible for both prophylaxis and treatment. It is usually given within 24 hours, but of course, the early injection is the best, and the longer it takes, the less effective it is.

Why do allergy test first

The tetanus antitoxin currently produced in China is mainly made by processing and extracting antibodies from horse serum, which is equivalent to a foreign protein to the human body and has strong allergenicity, which may lead to anaphylaxis and serum sickness (if you use human tetanus immunoglobulin, no allergic reaction will occur, and the effect and safety are better). Therefore, before the injection of tetanus injection must first do allergy testing, the injection process to observe the patient's reaction, after the injection must stay for more than 30 minutes, no abnormal reaction before leaving.

The difference between tetanus injection and vaccine

Tetanus shot is tetanus antitoxin, which contains specific antibodies and belongs to passive immunity, while tetanus vaccine is made of tetanus toxoid, which can induce protective antitoxin, and is a biological product that can be used for vaccination, so there is a certain difference between the two. So some people may ask: do I still need a tetanus shot after receiving the tetanus vaccine? At present, tetanus vaccine belongs to the first class of vaccines in China, which belongs to the government to bear the cost. According to the vaccination system implemented by the state for children, children with a clear history of vaccination and general small shallow wounds treated well in time can be exempted from the injection. For other cases of traumatic injuries, the doctor should analyze the degree and characteristics of the wound and the vaccination to determine if a tetanus shot is needed.

Can pregnant women get a tetanus shot?

Many women who have received accidental trauma during pregnancy are worried about whether the tetanus injection will have a negative impact on the fetus in the womb, in fact, these worries are not necessary, the tetanus injection for pregnant women is not purely in the contraindication, the main attention to whether they are allergic to the tetanus injection can be.