Health Topics A-Z | 2007 Archive | 2006 Archive | 2005 Archive | 2004 Archive | 2003 Archive
A R T I C L E |
D A T E |
| Girl Interrupted: A husband's unconditional love and a doctor's compassion and skill help one woman regain a part of herself that she didn't even know was missing... until her wedding night. |
05-08-2008 |
| Oh, Baby! Bariatric surgery can help women lose weight and gain a baby |
07-25-2007 |
| No Periods, Period! New low-dose pill is designed specifically to eliminate a woman's cycle |
06-13-2007 |
| Polycystic Ovary Syndrome When a rite of passage takes a wrong turn |
05-23-2007 |
| HPV Vaccine to Fight Cervical Cancer | 08-09-2006 |
| Bathroom Break An array of treatments gives the restroom a rest |
07-26-2006 |
| 1 Hormone, 3 Fish Oils Help Stop Pre-Term Labor |
01-09-2006 |
| Antidepressants & Pregnancy | 07-11-2005 |
| I
Want My Epidural...Now! No more need to wait for epidurals say OB-GYNs |
05-06-2005 |
| Preeclampsia | 05-03-2005 |
| The Intimate Enemy: Violence During Pregnancy |
02-08-2005 |
| Uterine
Fibroid Embolization: An Alternative to Hysterectomy |
01-18-2005 |
| Double
Jeopardy The link between estrogen and insulin could put women with diabetes or breast cancer at risk…for both. |
01-11-2005 |
| Pregnancy Paranoia | 11-08-2004 |
| Misconception over Contraception | 02-19-2004 |
| Seasonale: Can a pill a day take “The Curse” away? |
10-16-2003 |
| Shades of Blue Postpartum Depression |
07-28-2003 |
Editorial Board | Legal Disclaimer | Privacy & Security | Contact Us
©2000-2006 Office of Institutional Advancement, UT-Houston
Tetanus booster for adults
Tetanus does not result from the rusty nail or whatever created the wound. The danger lies in the bacteria Clostridium tetani that lives in the soil or manure on that nail or gardening tool. When these spores get into a wound—deep or shallow—they can produce a potent toxin. Also called lockjaw, tetanus seriously affects the central nervous system and can be fatal.
Onset of symptoms can occur anytime from three days to three weeks. Call your health care provider if you have an open wound, particularly if:
Adults should have a tetanus booster shot every 10 years, known as the Td vaccine. It is a "2-in-1" vaccine that protects against tetanus and diphtheria. It contains a slightly different dose of diphtheria vaccine than what you received as a child. It can be given to anyone older than 7 years and is injected, usually into the arm.
Instead of the standard Td booster every 10 years, adults between the ages of 19 and 65 should receive Tdap one time in their adulthood to boost the immune system for pertussis, as well as tetanus and diphtheria.
Diphtheria, a contagious bacterial infection created that causes severe inflammation of the throat and larynx and can also affect the whole body. Pertussis or “whooping cough” is a serious bacterial infection that afflicted children and infants before vaccines were available. Adults may be infected later in life as their immunities wane. Neither of these infections are related to tetanus, but both vaccines are compatible and convenient to use with the tetanus booster.
