Do I need to go get a tetanus shot?
September 30, 2021 9:16 AM Subscribe
I had a Tdap booster in 2014. I just stepped on a rusty screw. Do I need to go get a tetanus shot?
Like it said on the tin, I just stepped on a rusty, broken screw. For context on the severity, I thought it was a burr, and didn’t realize the offending item until I pulled it out. There is a very small puncture wound, no blood.
I had a Tdap in 2014, and my initial googling says it’s good for 10 years. However, some links indicated that “your doctor may recommend” a booster sooner in the context of exposure to a dirty wound. So. I’m on vacation, and would rather not interrupt it trying to find a minute clinic or similar to give me a shot if it isn’t necessary.
Like it said on the tin, I just stepped on a rusty, broken screw. For context on the severity, I thought it was a burr, and didn’t realize the offending item until I pulled it out. There is a very small puncture wound, no blood.
I had a Tdap in 2014, and my initial googling says it’s good for 10 years. However, some links indicated that “your doctor may recommend” a booster sooner in the context of exposure to a dirty wound. So. I’m on vacation, and would rather not interrupt it trying to find a minute clinic or similar to give me a shot if it isn’t necessary.
The latest guidance that I've seen is if you have an "incident" after 5 years, you get a booster. This is based on my having a dirty wound (cat bite) I know within the 10 year frame, but outside the 5 year frame, they gave me a tdap. (I was mad.) I would go get one, but that's me. Pharmacies should have this one if those are easier for you to get to.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 9:24 AM on September 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
posted by Ms Vegetable at 9:24 AM on September 30, 2021 [8 favorites]
The rust doesn't particularly matter, so then the question becomes, if it had turned out to be a burr that caused the same injury, would you have had any reason to be concerned?
posted by teremala at 9:25 AM on September 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by teremala at 9:25 AM on September 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
I think the whole "rusty nail" thing comes from the historical likelihood of a rusty nail injury occurring in a barn, where animal-borne tetanus is particularly common. A rusty household nail, in a not extremely dirty location, is not nearly as risky (and, conversely, an unrusted nail in a pasture is actually pretty high-risk, lack of rust notwithstanding).
posted by jackbishop at 9:39 AM on September 30, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by jackbishop at 9:39 AM on September 30, 2021 [4 favorites]
The latest guidance that I've seen is if you have an "incident" after 5 years, you get a booster.
I was told the same thing the last time I had an incident. And previous ones too for that matter. I've never actually managed to hit the 10 year mark because I'm accident prone and they're cheap and safe enough that I end up with them every five years or so.
posted by Candleman at 10:20 AM on September 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
I was told the same thing the last time I had an incident. And previous ones too for that matter. I've never actually managed to hit the 10 year mark because I'm accident prone and they're cheap and safe enough that I end up with them every five years or so.
posted by Candleman at 10:20 AM on September 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
In general, yeah, if it's more than five years since your last booster AND you have a dirty wound, they're going to recommend a booster. The chances that the screw you stepped on was contaminated with tetanus are vanishingly small, and you probably have a decent amount of immunity from previous immunizations, BUT getting tetanus is very bad.
FWIW I got a Tdap on vacation a couple months ago (stabbed myself real good with my Swiss army knife just after noticing how filthy it was and wondering when I'd last cleaned it). I went to Walgreens and it took less than 30 minutes start to finish. If you're vacationing in a part of the US served by chain pharmacies, the hassle factor should be pretty low.
That said I did feel like garbage starting ~36 hours after the Tdap (consistent with my previous Tdap experience), but I was home from vacation by then so it wasn't too bad. I considered skipping the shot but, ridiculously, I thought, "I will feel so embarrassed if I'm hospitalized for tetanus and I could have avoided it."
posted by mskyle at 10:21 AM on September 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
FWIW I got a Tdap on vacation a couple months ago (stabbed myself real good with my Swiss army knife just after noticing how filthy it was and wondering when I'd last cleaned it). I went to Walgreens and it took less than 30 minutes start to finish. If you're vacationing in a part of the US served by chain pharmacies, the hassle factor should be pretty low.
That said I did feel like garbage starting ~36 hours after the Tdap (consistent with my previous Tdap experience), but I was home from vacation by then so it wasn't too bad. I considered skipping the shot but, ridiculously, I thought, "I will feel so embarrassed if I'm hospitalized for tetanus and I could have avoided it."
posted by mskyle at 10:21 AM on September 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
A couple of conversations with doctors who were cleaning & stitching wounds lately (not on me!) said that five years is a good run for tetanus, and you must get a booster by seven years.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:39 AM on September 30, 2021
posted by wenestvedt at 10:39 AM on September 30, 2021
Tetanus spores are common in household dust. If you could test the contents of your vacuum cleaner bag, you would most likely find some! Following the rule of getting the shot after ten years if there are no known puncture incidents, and after five years if there is one, you definitely should get the shot now.
posted by metonym at 10:51 AM on September 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by metonym at 10:51 AM on September 30, 2021 [2 favorites]
I stick to the side of caution, it’s better to just get the jab than worry or risk something worse. Check the local pharmacies. Many do these types of shots with an appointment and it’s super quick.
(I got my last one at a clinic after a sliced finger on a dusty window blind. Just a sore arm. And the finger stitches of course.)
posted by Crystalinne at 12:41 PM on September 30, 2021
(I got my last one at a clinic after a sliced finger on a dusty window blind. Just a sore arm. And the finger stitches of course.)
posted by Crystalinne at 12:41 PM on September 30, 2021
I would err on the side of getting one. Depending on where you are, as mentioned, drug stores (CVS/etc.) often have in-store clinics. That's where I got mine last year after a nail on the street went through my flip flop and into my foot.
And I'm generally pretty sensitive to vaccines but I had no reaction to it -- not even a sore arm. Everyone is different, though, of course.
posted by edencosmic at 2:21 PM on September 30, 2021
And I'm generally pretty sensitive to vaccines but I had no reaction to it -- not even a sore arm. Everyone is different, though, of course.
posted by edencosmic at 2:21 PM on September 30, 2021
The latest guidance that I've seen is if you have an "incident" after 5 years, you get a booster.
I was told the same thing the last time I had an incident.
Same. I was bitten by a dog earlier this year and got one - it was the easiest thing ever at CVS. I was bitten by another dog back in...2016 (I think?) and because I had had a Tdap in 2013, my doctor said I didn't need one at that time.
posted by Pax at 10:56 AM on October 3, 2021
I was told the same thing the last time I had an incident.
Same. I was bitten by a dog earlier this year and got one - it was the easiest thing ever at CVS. I was bitten by another dog back in...2016 (I think?) and because I had had a Tdap in 2013, my doctor said I didn't need one at that time.
posted by Pax at 10:56 AM on October 3, 2021
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posted by DarlingBri at 9:20 AM on September 30, 2021