Is one tetanus shot enough?

[Hal65]

Situations is I had a dog bite on Jan 18. Had a rabies and tenanus shot same day. Since then had two more rabies shots.

 

Today I had the fourth rabies shot. That left tetanus, but I lost my tracking card. The medical clinic lady, a physician I think (not sure, the lady at Buakao Clinic) said 1 tetanus shot is good enough and not to worry. She said the hospital recommends three rounds to be extra safe. 

 

Can anyone confirm if a single tetanus shot is standard fare and/or acceptable as a vaccination?

 

Might be relevant. Bite wound has (mostly) healed without complications.

[Orton Rd]

I thought it lasted 10 years?- woman up the road died from it last year, nasty

[MartinL]

I was in a similar situation in November. I had 4 double shots of rabies vaccine - 1 in each arm each time - and tetanus in 3 shots. Second tetanus shot was one month after the first, third shot will be 6 months after the second, in June.

 

But to answer your question, I was asked when my last tetanus vaccination was. It was in 2009, more than 10 years ago. I was told that, if I'd had a tetanus course within the last 10 years, only a single shot would have sufficed.

[Golden Triangle]

I think you'll be okay with just one Tetanus jab, make sure you get al the Rabies shots, and I'm with you when it comes to feeding these mangy mutts, a 9 mm would be better.

[Randy Murican]

2 hours ago, Hal65 said:

Situations is I had a dog bite on Jan 18. Had a rabies and tenanus shot same day. Since then had two more rabies shots.

 

Today I had the fourth rabies shot. That left tetanus, but I lost my tracking card. The medical clinic lady, a physician I think (not sure, the lady at Buakao Clinic) said 1 tetanus shot is good enough and not to worry. She said the hospital recommends three rounds to be extra safe. 

 

Can anyone confirm if a single tetanus shot is standard fare and/or acceptable as a vaccination?

 

Might be relevant. Bite wound has (mostly) healed without complications.

A single Td injection is adequate if you have had a primary series as a child or adult.

 

Primary series consists of 3 shots at 0, 1 and 6-12 months after dose #2. At least 1 dose should be Tdap (Tetanus-Diptheria) preferably the 1st dose.

 

A booster dose is recommended every 10 years or after 5 years if you have sustained a contaminated wound. A dog bite would qualify.

[CharlieH]

As I understand it, in simple terms, the 1 shot will address and prtect any immediate issue, the second prolongs protects against further instances and the 3rd is the booster that will extend the protection for several years.

 

Get the course and your good for 5+yrs. If not and something happens later (say 2yrs) you gotta go through it all again. Why pay twice. IMHO

[Sheryl]

It depends on the prior immunization history.

 

Almost everyone from a developed country will have had full series of tetanus vaccinations in childhood. So what is given after a bite is just a booster and 1 is usually sufficient. Only if there were doubt about prior immunization would there be reason to give more than 1.