Just got a reminder to have a Tetnus. Ran through what I thought was brambles but turned out to be barb wire, which hurt like hell.
Ten years had gone by since my last one.

probably 12 years ago last one I think.

how much are they and can you request them?

The interval is huge now – might even be 15 years. Check with the doc. Doesn't cost anything – I had one recently but oddly I had to have a combined diptheria one, which they admitted I didn't need!

Just asked and I got one, it was rusty old wire that dug into my shin, and God knows what else gets thrown up into cuts when we ride. That said I've never had a cycling infection.

Tetanus can be prevented by vaccination with tetanus toxoid.[10] The CDC recommends that adults receive a booster vaccine every ten years, and standard care practice in many places is to give the booster to any patient with a puncture wound who is uncertain of when he or she was last vaccinated, or if he or she has had fewer than 3 lifetime doses of the vaccine. The booster cannot prevent a potentially fatal case of tetanus from the current wound, however, as it can take up to two weeks for tetanus antibodies to form.[11] In children under the age of seven, the tetanus vaccine is often administered as a combined vaccine, DPT/DTaP vaccine, which also includes vaccines against diphtheria and pertussis. For adults and children over seven, the Td vaccine (tetanus and diphtheria) or Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) is commonly used.[10]

American CDC recommendations via Wikipedia

Current DoH guidance is every ten years, which is slightly behind the time as current research suggests that if you have had 5 in your life time (which everyone born after 1961 should have unless they missed one as a kid) then you shouldn't need any more.

If you get a particularly tetanus prone wound then you might need tetanus immunoglobulin.

HTH

dr_death – everyone after 1961 should have had 5 in their lifetime? I've had 2 and I'm 28 🙂

I've lost track of the last time I played tetris

I went to my local GP surgery to book in for a tetanus booster (as had been > 10 yrs since previous one). Receptionist booked me in to see the nurse a week later.

Turn up, go into nurse's room and when I tell her that I've come for a tetanus booster she tells me that they don't do them anymore as a matter of course. And that as long as you've had one previously then that's it. Only come in if you actually get bitten by an animal or puncture the skin by something you feel might be risky.

So a waste of a couple of hours for me then.

I am fully booked up, last tetanus jab was June 16th. I remember it well.

similar to allthepies. asked my GP to confirm when my last one was and whether i needed booster – as it was a condition of some insurance.

was told that i'd had the full set at school – and therefore didn't need one until i really needed one.

Coffeeking – does that include the ones your mum subjected you to at the ages of 2, 3 and 4 months??

I had a moment of confusion there for a moment!

I've not had one for about 30 years

Mind you, I think I got one every other week when I was a kid, I had a season ticket for casualty too in those days 🙂

Dr Death surprise surprise is right, although worth checking as I didn't get my 5th until about 9-10 years ago and they gave me a just in case one about 8 years ago after I stuck a brake lever in my calf.

Its about time I gave Abi an injection 😈

25 years for me. 1984 when some really fat kid smashed my head repeatedly into the wall outside our classroom. I learned three things from that:

1)Its not a good idea to get on someone's shoulders during a fight – they can easily drop you over their shoulders and then smash your head repeatedly into a wall

2) A tetanus jab in your arse hurts like hell and is quite embarrassing if the nurse administering said injection is your mate's mum who you've always had a crush on.

3) Being forced to play football the next day when you can barely walk because of said embarrassing injection in your arse also hurts like hell, especially when the other team all know of your pain and kick you in the arse at every opportunity.

Its no wonder I haven't had a tetanus since then.

Had a big chainring gash down the back of my calf a few years ago, was pretty nasty as it was full of mud. Went to the docs and was told that the standard tetanus jabs I'd had as a child cover you for life.