The best prevention against tetanus is proper immunisation as tetanus occurs almost exclusively in people who are unvaccinated or inadequately immunised. In the UK the vaccination is included in children’s vaccination programmes and is part of the combined diphtheria/tetanus/polio/haemophilus influenza b vaccine. For adults and teenagers it is included in the tetanus/diphtheria/polio vaccine. The vaccination course involves 5 doses of vaccinations: the primary course is given as 3 separate doses each a month apart, normally it is given to babies, starting when they are two months old, but it can be given to adults as well. In children the fourth dose is given three years after their primary course, in adults it is administered ten years after the primary course. Finally the fifth dose is given ten years after the fourth. The primary course provides protection for a number of years while the fourth and fifth doses maintain this protection and should last a life-time. Vaccinations inject a small amount of dead or harmless bacteria into the blood, which the body recognises as foreign. The body’s immune system then produces antibodies to destroy these foreign particles and at the same time memory cells are made so that if there is a second exposure (if you actually were infected by tetanus) your immune response would be much quicker and more effective. After the vaccine it is normal to feel slightly unwell with symptoms including mild headache, aching muscles and mild fever which last a few days. You should not have the vaccine if you already have an illness causing a fever or if your last tetanus vaccination caused a severe reaction although this is very rare. It is safe to have the vaccine if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

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