{"id":12991,"date":"2026-04-15T20:49:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:49:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=12991"},"modified":"2026-04-15T20:49:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:49:31","slug":"tetanus-shot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/tetanus-shot\/","title":{"rendered":"Tetanus Shot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-12992 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/tetanus-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>A tetanus shot is a vaccine that reduces your risk of getting tetanus or lockjaw, a painful and potentially fatal bacterial infection.<\/p>\n<p>The incubation period of tetanus ranges from 3 to 21 days after infection. Most cases occur within 14 days.<\/p>\n<p>Symptoms can include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jaw cramping or the inability to open the mouth<\/li>\n<li>Muscle spasms often occur in the back, abdomen, and extremities<\/li>\n<li>Sudden painful muscle spasms, often triggered by sudden noises<\/li>\n<li>Trouble swallowing<\/li>\n<li>Seizures<\/li>\n<li>Headache<\/li>\n<li>Fever and sweating<\/li>\n<li>Changes in blood pressure or a fast heart rate<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The bacteria that cause tetanus can be found in the environment on metals and in soil. Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a series of Tdap or DTap shots in childhood and boosters every ten years. These shots also protect against other bacterial infections, such as diphtheria and pertussis.<\/p>\n<p>Tetanus shots work by training the immune system to identify threats, so it has the tools to fight them when it encounters them again. These shots are known as a toxoid vaccine, which means they contain a weakened version of the toxin released by Clostridium tetani, the tetanus-causing bacteria. The toxoid creates an immune response that protects you if you are exposed to these bacteria in the future.<\/p>\n<p>There are many reasons to get a tetanus shot, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Within 48 hours of getting a wound that is deep and\/or contaminated with dirt, feces, or saliva. You will need a booster shot if you haven\u2019t had one in the past five years<\/li>\n<li>During the first trimester of pregnancy, you can protect your baby from pertussis in their first months of life<\/li>\n<li>As part of the childhood immunization regimen. The CDC recommends an initial five-shot series between the ages of two months and six years old, and a booster shot between 11 and 12 years old<\/li>\n<li>Every 10 years after your initial series of shots<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You shouldn\u2019t get a tetanus shot if you or your child has an allergic reaction, seizures, or a decreased level of consciousness after getting a tetanus shot in the past. Do not get a tetanus shot until you speak with your healthcare provider. They can make a recommendation as to what is safe for you.<\/p>\n<p>Before you get a tetanus vaccine, it is important to tell your healthcare provider if you have:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Life-threatening allergies<\/li>\n<li>Guillain\u2013Barr\u00e9 syndrome<\/li>\n<li>Suffered from seizures in the past<\/li>\n<li>Had severe pain or swelling after getting a tetanus shot in the past<\/li>\n<li>A condition that affects the nervous system<\/li>\n<li>Recently had transplant surgery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is also important to tell your healthcare provider about any medications you take, as certain medications, such as corticosteroids, cancer treatments, and immunosuppressants, could interact with the tetanus shot.<\/p>\n<p>Like most vaccinations, there is a chance of side effects. However, the side effects of a tetanus shot are usually mild. The most common side effect is muscle soreness in the arm. Other side effects include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Swelling, pain, and redness at the injection site<\/li>\n<li>Headache<\/li>\n<li>Fatigue<\/li>\n<li>Loss of appetite<\/li>\n<li>Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea<\/li>\n<li>Low-grade fever<\/li>\n<li>Fussiness or irritability in babies<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Children and babies rarely experience serious side effects from the DTap vaccine. If they do experience side effects, they would include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fever over 105 degrees Fahrenheit<\/li>\n<li>Seizures<\/li>\n<li>Swelling of an entire arm or leg<\/li>\n<li>Continued, inconsolable crying that lasts for more than a few hours<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you or a loved one is experiencing any symptoms relating to tetanus, you can receive treatment at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center\u2019s Ambulatory Care Center. Please call (718) 206-7001.<\/p>\n<p class=\"disclaimer\">All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page.   You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter.<strong>  PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.<\/strong> <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A tetanus shot is a vaccine that reduces your risk of getting tetanus or lockjaw, a painful and potentially fatal bacterial infection. The incubation period of tetanus ranges from 3 to 21 days after infection. Most cases occur within 14 &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/tetanus-shot\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,5,1,22,61,14,863,24,3,4],"tags":[300,722,85,964,2235,2335,2336,473],"class_list":["post-12991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-allergy","category-general-health","category-health","category-hypertension","category-lifestyle","category-mens-health","category-muscles","category-parenting","category-pediatric-care","category-womens-health","tag-parenting","tag-health","tag-heart-health","tag-hypertension","tag-mens-health","tag-tetanus-shot","tag-tetanus-vaccine","tag-womens-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12991"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12994,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12991\/revisions\/12994"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}