Every time one of my children gets near a rusty nail, I think of tetanus shots. What can they prevent, and how often should my kids get one?
Tetanus shots immunize your children against dangerous muscle stiffness like “lockjaw,” which can take place when something such as a rusty nail contaminated with tetanus bacteria pierces their skin. Thanks to widespread use of the immunization, however, tetanus is hardly a concern to any child who lives in a developed country.
During their infancy and childhood, your children should get 5 doses of the tetanus immunization agent, called tetanus toxoid. Usually they get their first shot at 2 months, followed by booster shots at 4 months, 6 months, 18 months and 5 years of age. After that, your children should get one dose of tetanus toxoid every 10 years.
