Diphtheria And Tetanus Vaccine For Adults - Side Effects

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 17:49

Diphtheria and tetanus vaccine for adults

Diphtheria and tetanus are infectious diseases that pose a direct threat to human life. Death occurs due to severe damage to the nervous system. The administration of the vaccine allows preventing the development of this pathology and saving the lives of both adults and children.

Diphtheria and tetanus affect unvaccinated people. Therefore, there should be no doubt about the vaccination of children. Only vaccination can save the life of an infected person.

Content:

• Why should you get a tetanus shot?
• When should the vaccine be given?
• Contraindications to vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus
• What can and cannot be done after vaccination?
• Vaccination reaction
• Answers to popular questions

Why should you get a tetanus shot?

The tetanus vaccine is on the list of mandatory vaccinations, which are listed in the national calendar. The fact is that, despite the successes of modern medicine, it was not possible to get rid of the infection.

Things Every Person Should Know About Tetanus:

• The causative agent of the disease can exist both in the human body and in the intestines of animals. Together with feces, it enters the reservoir and into the soil. This increases the likelihood of infection if a skin injury occurs.
• The bacterium is represented by a gram-positive bacillus. When it gets into unfavorable conditions for it, it transforms into disputes. In this form, the causative agent of the infection can exist for about 100 years. Spores are not afraid of low temperatures, they survive when water is boiled for 3 hours, microbes feel great in the soil.
• If a person has once had tetanus, then he has a natural defense that lasts throughout his life. The second time a person can not get sick.
• Tetanus leads to death of children in 96% of cases, adults die in 16-80% of cases.

When should the vaccine be given?

DPT is the vaccine that protects a person from tetanus. In addition to tetanus toxoid, it includes protection against diphtheria and whooping cough. The vaccine is included in the national immunization schedule. The plan is different for children and adults.

Vaccination of children

Children are given DPT 5 times. After that, the child develops a strong immunity to the disease. He will protect him for 10 years.

Age at which a child should receive tetanus vaccine:

• 3 months.
• 4.5 months.
• 6 months.
• 1.5 years.
• 6-7 years old.

In order for immunity to remain at the required level, vaccination must be repeated every 10 years. The first time a teenager is revaccinated at 14 or 16 years old.

Vaccine administration to adults

Adults are given the tetanus vaccine in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of the Russian Federation No. 174 of May 17, 1999. Age at which a person should receive the next vaccination:

• Between 18 and 27 years old.
• Between 28 and 37 years old.
• Between 48 and 57 years old.
• People over 58 are given the vaccine every 10 years.

If a person was vaccinated earlier, then every 10 years he is injected with tetanus toxoid in the amount of 1 dose. If he has not received vaccination, then he is injected with 2 doses of the drug with an interval of 1 month. The next vaccine will be delivered in 10 years.

The following categories of citizens receive the vaccination without fail:

• Studeny.
• Servicemen in the army.
• Builders.
• Workers on the railway.
• Excavators.

In addition, if a person lives in an area epidemiologically unfavorable for tetanus, then vaccinate him without fail.

Contraindications to vaccination against diphtheria and tetanus

There are not many contraindications to the administration of the tetanus vaccine, since it does not lead to serious complications. An absolute prohibition is the introduction of the vaccine to those persons who have previously developed anaphylactic shock or Quincke's edema, as well as severe neurological damage. Other contraindications are temporary, after which the vaccine can be delivered.

These include:

• Allergy in the acute phase. It can be diathesis, eczema, bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, household allergies, food allergies.
• Chronic diseases in the acute stage, for example, lung pathologies, immunodeficiency states, etc.
• Increase in body temperature above normal values.
• Breastfeeding period, pregnancy.
• Allergy is multifactorial.

If a child is born prematurely, he will still need to get a tetanus shot, as this is not a contraindication. Children and adults who suffer from allergies are vaccinated under the guise of antihistamines. They are accepted or introduced in advance. After the vaccine is given, antihistamines continue to be taken for several more days.

Emergency vaccination

If it is not known when a person was given the tetanus vaccine and whether he received it at all, but an emergency occurred with a risk of infection, then the patient is given an emergency vaccination. Also, the vaccination is done on the condition that more than 5 years have passed since its last introduction.

Emergency vaccination is carried out in the following cases:

• Extensive burns and frostbite.
• Injuries: chopped, stab and cut wounds, gunshot wounds.
• Wild and domestic animal bites.
• Purulent wounds.
• Operations performed on the stomach or intestines.
• Births that were carried out at home, or happened outside the hospital ward.
• Criminal abortion suffered by a woman.

Vaccination of pregnant women

In the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy, the tetanus vaccine is not administered to women. However, during an emergency operation, an anti-tetanus drug is prescribed without fail. Vaccination is not carried out using a standard vaccination, but using immunoglobulins.

If a woman is at the planning stage of pregnancy, then the vaccine is administered to her at least 30 days before the upcoming conception. This will provide the newborn baby with the antibodies it receives from the mother. They will circulate in his blood during the first 2 months of life. When less than 5 years have passed since the last tetanus vaccine was given, there is no need to vaccinate.

Provided that childbirth takes place in areas unfavorable for tetanus, pregnant women are revaccinated 2 weeks before the upcoming delivery.

What can and cannot be done after vaccination?

After the vaccine is delivered, antibodies will start to be produced in the body. They will protect a person from disease. Revaccination stimulates the production of antibodies. A single dose administered does not provide reliable protection,

Therefore, repeated administration of the vaccine is required at regular intervals. The production of immunoglobulins in the body can lead to certain reactions on its part, so you need to adhere to the recommendations given by the doctor.

Prohibited:

• Alcohol should not be consumed the day before the vaccine was administered and 3 days after its administration.
• It is not recommended to eat foods that can cause an allergic reaction: all citrus fruits, honey, fish and seafood, confectionery and pastries, chocolate, coffee and cocoa, sweet soda.
• For 3 days, a person should not play sports or overload the body.
• It is forbidden to visit the sauna and bathhouse, you cannot go to the pool.
• You should refrain from going to crowded places, for example, to a clinic, to a store, to a theater, etc.

After setting the vaccine, the following actions are allowed:

• You can take a shower.
• You can apply a sterile dressing to the injection site.
• You can take medications for allergies.
• You need to adhere to a lightweight diet: drink as much water as possible, eat fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals, dairy products.

Vaccination reaction

The body gives a reaction to the introduction of any vaccine, since antibodies begin to be intensively produced in it. This process is especially active after the first vaccination in life. Although the tetanus vaccine is not highly reactive, certain manifestations can still occur. If they do not pose a threat to life, then this is considered a variant of the norm. Most often, patients tolerate the tetanus shot easily.

Local reactions can be as follows:

• Redness of the area of the skin where the injection was given.
• The appearance of a seal at the injection site.
• Bump formation.

After a few days, all reactions will go away on their own, no special measures need to be taken. In addition to the listed symptoms, a person may have a slight increase in body temperature, sometimes lethargy, weakness increase, and drowsiness occurs. This happens for the following reasons:

• The vaccine hurts. Pain may be felt at the injection site after the injection. Normally, after 2-3 days, all uncomfortable sensations go away on their own. The pain occurs when the vaccine gets into the fatty tissue. The drug enters the bloodstream slowly, resulting in an inflammatory reaction, which is expressed by a local increase in temperature, soreness and swelling. If the pain causes severe discomfort, you can take a drug from the NSAID group, for example, Ibuprofen or Indomethacin.
• The hand hurts. The hand hurts after the injection in the shoulder or under the shoulder blade. This is due to the penetration of the drug into the subcutaneous tissue. The vaccine contains aluminum hydroxide, which causes inflammation. When the drug is completely dissolved, the pain will go away. To speed up this process, you can apply troxevasin ointment to the injection site, and also take NSAIDs.
• A bump is formed. Since there is no abundance of blood vessels in the area where the vaccine is administered, the drug will not dissolve instantly. Therefore, its introduction is accompanied by the formation of a seal. This is normal. The vaccine will enter the bloodstream slowly, which will ensure the correct formation of immunity. If the entire dose of the drug immediately dissolves in the blood, the body will simply destroy it and the person will be left without protection. The time for complete resorption of the vaccine, and hence the lumps, takes 1-2 months.
• The muscle swells. The swelling is due to local inflammation. The skin turns red, swells, slightly sore. The area of redness should not be more than 8 cm in diameter, and the size of the bump should not be more than 2 cm.
• The body temperature rises. Body temperature can reach 39.5 ° C. It should last no more than 3 days. If your body temperature rises to 40 ° C, you should seek medical attention. This reaction is hypertoxic and dangerous.

Rarely, but still can occur reactions such as bronchitis, rhinitis, pharyngitis. In a blood test, leukopenia and agranulocytosis can be detected. On the part of the cardiovascular system, disorders such as increased heart rate can occur. In some patients, salivation increases, vomiting and nausea develop, and the stool becomes liquid.

The rarest body reactions include seizures, loss of speech, and partial paralysis.

Complications

Complications can occur after getting a tetanus shot. There are two options for their course: the immediate type and the delayed type. In the first case, a person develops an allergic reaction, manifested by itching and urticaria, Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock may occur. In the second case, the patient has intestinal dysbiosis and serum sickness. A delayed reaction is caused by a violation of the rules of asepsis during the injection, or by improper storage of the vaccine itself.

• Abscess or phlegmon. This complication manifests itself in intense pain, an increase in body temperature and the onset of symptoms of intoxication.
• Neuritis. Neuritis is the result of getting the vaccine into the nerve. In humans, the work of internal organs is disrupted, which are innervated by the affected nerve. The arm, hip, scapula may hurt, limb movements are difficult.

Answers to popular questions

• Why is tetanus fatal? There are several reasons for the death of patients - a fracture of the spinal column, cessation of cardiac activity, suffocation.
• What complications does tetanus have? Complications include: convulsions with bone fractures, bronchitis, pneumonia, pulmonary atelectasis, sepsis, compression and deformity of the spine.
• What are the different types of vaccines? During the routine vaccination, the DTP vaccine is used (whooping cough, diphtheria, tetanus), ADS (diphtheria and tetanus), ADS-M (a small dose of the drug for tetanus and diphtheria), Infanrix (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis, the vaccine is made in Belgium), Tetrakok (the vaccine is supplemented with a polio drug, produced in France). If an emergency setting of a vaccine is required, then an AC drug is used, that is, tetanus toxoid.
• How long does it take to fully recover from tetanus ? 45 to 60 days.
• If parents refuse to give their child a tetanus shot, can they be forced to do so? No, if the parents write a refusal in writing, then the child is not given the vaccine.
• Are adults getting tetanus shots for a fee? Where can I put it? Vaccination is free, it is done in any medical institution, for example, in a FAP or a polyclinic at the place of residence.
• What is the prognosis for tetanus? The prognosis is largely determined by the form of the disease, if it is generalized, then the prognosis is unfavorable. The duration of the incubation period is also important, the shorter it is, the worse. If the infection has a mild course, then the person completely recovers from the disease. With a fulminant course of tetanus, patients most often die.

Article author: Mochalov Pavel Alexandrovich | d. m. n. therapist

Education: Moscow Medical Institute. IM Sechenov, specialty - "General Medicine" in 1991, in 1993 "Occupational Diseases", in 1996 "Therapy".