CDC Advises Updated Tetanus-Diphtheria ImmunizationsAugust Is National Immunization Awareness Month< August 6, 2003 >More than 53 percent of US adults are not protected against tetanus or diphtheria because they have failed to get the tetanus-diphtheria booster shot that is recommended once every 10 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "Probably the biggest obstacle to people getting their diphtheria and tetanus booster is they don't know they are supposed to get it," says Dr. Susan Rehm, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) and a staff physician at the Cleveland Clinic. While the recommendation to get a booster dose of the tetanus and diphtheria vaccine has been long-standing, it is not well-known, she says. Awareness Campaign LaunchedThe CDC has declared August as National Immunization Awareness Month. To educate the public, NFID has launched "The Power of 10," a public awareness campaign about the importance of getting a booster shot every decade. "There's been a lot of emphasis on childhood vaccines," Dr. Rehm says, but much less on the adult immunizations to curtail tetanus and diphtheria. Vaccines have been used since the 1700s and are among the great public health successes, according to the CDC. Vaccines serve as a protection from at least 14 different diseases that once were common in the US. Despite the effectiveness of vaccines against potentially fatal illnesses, children and adults still die each year from these preventable diseases. "Emergency room physicians are generally pretty aware," says Dr. Douglas Campos-Outcalt, medical director of the Maricopa County Department of Public Health in Phoenix. If someone goes to the emergency department with a cut or a dog bite, they will likely be asked about their last tetanus booster, he says. Tetanus is often called lockjaw. It is a bacterial disease that affects the nervous system. It is contracted when tetanus bacteria, commonly found in soil, dust, and manure, contaminates a cut or a wound. Tetanus can be contracted by seemingly harmless activities such as gardening, Dr. Rehm says. She has treated a man who fell ill with tetanus after getting a splinter from a packing crate. Once infected, the person can get muscles spasms so severe the jaw "locks," making it impossible to open the mouth or swallow. It may even lead to death by suffocation. Diphtheria is also a bacterial disease, but it usually affects the tonsils, throat, skin, or nose. It is passed from affected individuals by droplets - usually the person breathes in the diphtheria bacteria after someone infected has coughed or sneezed. Drinking from a glass used by an infected person may spread it, too, warns NFID. The condition may lead to breathing problems, heart failure, and paralysis. Once symptoms begin, treatment for tetanus can include tetanus immune globulin to neutralize the toxin produced by the bacteria. For diphtheria, antitoxin and antibiotics are given. Put It on Your "To Do" List"When I immunize someone, I try to emphasize they are going to have to keep this up every 10 years for the rest of their life," Dr. Rehm says. She encourages adults to think of some way to remember easily when their next immunization is due - perhaps on a "zero" birthday or an anniversary. If people still have doubts about the importance of the immunization, the case history of Rehm's patient who got tetanus from a splinter should convince them. He was on a ventilator in a hospital for six weeks, she says, but he survived. "It doesn't take something dramatic [to get tetanus]," Dr. Rehm says. Always consult your physician for more information. Online Resources(Our Organization is not responsible for the content of Internet sites.) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Immunization Program, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Institutes of Health (NIH) US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
|
For more information on health and wellness, please visit health information modules on this Web site. What Is Tetanus?Tetanus is an acute, sometimes fatal, disease of the central nervous system, caused by the toxin of the tetanus bacterium, which usually enters the body through an open wound. The tetanus bacterium live in soil and manure, but also can be found in the human intestine and other places. Tetanus occurs more often in warmer climates or during the warmer months. Tetanus is uncommon in the US due to widespread immunization. Tetanus is not a contagious illness. It occurs in individuals who have had a skin or deep tissue wound or puncture. After being exposed to tetanus, it may take between two days to two months to develop any symptoms. In infants, symptoms may take between five days to two weeks to develop. The following are the most common symptoms of tetanus:
Always consult your physician for more information. What Is Diphtheria?The following are the most common symptoms of diphtheria: respiratory diphtheria A membrane may form over the throat and tonsils, causing a sore throat. Other common symptoms of respiratory diphtheria may include:
Persons may die from asphyxiation when the membrane obstructs breathing. Other complications of respiratory diphtheria are caused by the diphtheria toxin released in the blood, leading to heart failure. skin (cutaneous) diphtheria Always consult your physician for more information. |
