a 12 yr old child got a tetanus shot in 2000, his doctor says he should get another..what do you think?

Question

? what are the risks if he dosent?

thanks :)

Answer 1

um i thought it was every 10 years. i could be wrong, but thats what i've been told.

Answer 2

Your question is a little ambiguous, but I will try to answer it. If the child WAS 5 years old at the time of his last booster and is now 12 years old, he needs the booster shot; it will last him until he or she finishes college (10 years) which is usually why doctors do it around age 12 or 13 - young adults and college students frequently become very busy and forget to go back for one, otherwise, during high school and/or college.

If your child was 12 years old in 2000, when they had their last tetanus shot, and now is 19 years old, then they probably do not need another one at this time. They should be able to wait a year or two.

There are no risks to getting another tetanus shot at either age (12 or 19), so if your doctor is suggesting it, you should probably do it.

If your child doesn't get a tetanus shot and their immunity to the tetanus toxin wanes, they could die if exposed to the tetanus toxin by stepping on a nail, walking in a farmfield barefoot with a cut on their leg or foot, etc. Tetanus toxin affects the neuromotor systems of the body, causing the muscles to spontaneously fire at random - eventually putting a person into a tonic state of muscular contraction (lockjaw). It is incredibly painful and can be fatal.

This is why tetanus boosters are suggested for everyone - it's easy to prevent the effects of tetanus, the vaccine is dirt-cheap, and it has few side effects other than a sore arm at the injection site.

Answer 3

Well, I've heard that you should get them every ten years as well. Is he 20 now, or 12 and he was 4 for the first shot? If he's 20, let him make the decision. If he's 12 (and especially if he's active and plays outside, like a 12 year old should) I'd say go for it - you don't want to risk it. You could do to wait a year, though, or get a second opinion from another doc (just call them).

Answer 4

How many doses of DTaP vaccine are needed?
The usual schedule for infants is a series of four doses given at two, four, six, and 15-18 months of age. A fifth shot, or booster dose, is recommended at 4-6 years of age, unless the fourth dose was given late (after the fourth birthday).

When should adolescents and adults get vaccinated against tetanus? Should they get vaccinated with Td or Tdap?
Immunization experts recommend that the first dose of Tdap be given at age 11-12 as a booster during the routine adolescent immunization visit if the adolescent has finished the childhood DTaP schedule and has not already received a dose of Td or Tdap.

Adults should continue to receive a booster dose of Td every ten years. Adults age 19-64 years who have never received Tdap should receive a single dose of Tdap to replace a single dose of Td so they can boost their resistance to pertussis as well.

Answer 5

They say a person should get a tetanus shot about every 10 years, and it's for hurting yourself on metal, stepping on nails, working in a construction area, maybe falling off a bike onto something metal, etc. I'd think it's a tad bit early. If a person is older maybe they can go longer than 10 years because I'd think the syrum would build up in their system, but even then you don't have to rush off to get one.

Answer 6

I think he should get it. I'm pretty sure it's every 5 years. I could be wrong but I accidentally got a rusty nail in my finger and the last time I got the shot was like 7 years ago or something so I had to go get another one.

Answer 7

tetanus is every 10 years. I had one in 1997 and when I went in for my physical the doctor told me It's been 10 years, you
are due for a tetnus shot.

Answer 8

i got mine when i was 10 and i dont have to get it again until im 20. but even so, i still get the flu shot.

the risks are next time he scrapes his hand on medal or something, he could get seriously hurt and even be hospitalized if he doesn't get it!

honestly.. i used to be afraid. hell i still get sweaty.

all i do is clench my fist and act like im goin to punch the doctor in the face and i start laughing [ but NOT in the arm they are putting the shot in ]

what i do [ sounds so stupid ] is i ask the nurse or whoever is giving me the shot to tell me to close my eyes and start coughing. whenever i cough.. they put it in the arm and you don't even expect it. its just a tiny pinch. it doesn't hurt that bas, if you think about it too much it really scares you.

good luck

Answer 9

Unless vaccines have changed, tetnus shots used to be good for ten years. If your child has recently been injured, it's likely the doctor would advise getting a new tetnus shot.

Answer 10

Yeah, the doc's right. Immunity doesn't last forever. And tetanus is easy to catch and deadly. Get the shot.

Answer 11

If you're going overseas with the child, I'd definitely get the shot. Plus, I'd take the doctor's advice over anyone's advice in this forum.