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\nDoctors recommend that your child get five doses of the DTaP shot for best protection. Your child will need one dose at each of the following ages:
\nThe best way to protect against tetanus is by getting the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis shot (called DTaP). Doctors recommend that all children get the shot.
\nThe DTaP shot:
\nYes. The DTaP shot is very safe, and it is effective at preventing tetanus. Vaccines, like any medicine, can have side effects. Most children who get the shot have no side effects.
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\nMost children don\u2019t have any side effects from the shot. The side effects that do occur are usually mild and may include:
\nThese types of side effects happen in about 1 child out of every 4 children who get the shot.
\nMore serious side effects are very rare but can include:
\nThe DTaP shot does not offer lifetime protection. People need booster vaccines to maintain protection from tetanus.
Children should get a booster vaccine called Tdap (which helps protect against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough) at 11 or 12 years old. Anyone who does not get Tdap at that age should get one dose as a replacement for their 10-year Td booster shot.
Adults need a booster called the Td vaccine (for tetanus and diphtheria) every 10 years.
Tetanus is a serious disease caused by a toxin (poison) made by bacteria. It causes painful muscle stiffness and can be deadly.
\nTetanus in children starts with headache, jaw cramping, and muscle spasms (sudden, involuntary muscle tightening).
\nIt also causes the following:
\nTetanus is often called \u201clockjaw\u201d because the jaw muscles tighten, making it hard to open the mouth.
\nTetanus is very dangerous. It can cause breathing problems, muscle spasms, and paralysis (unable to move parts of the body). Muscle spasms can be strong enough to break a child\u2019s spine or other bones.
\nIt can take months to recover fully from tetanus. A child might need weeks of hospital care. As many as 1 out of 5 people who get tetanus dies.
\nThe bacteria that cause tetanus are found in soil, dust, and manure. They get into the body through a puncture, cut, or sore on the skin. A person can also be infected after a burn or an animal bite.
\nTetanus does not spread from one person to another.
\nTo learn more about the DTaP shot, talk to your child\u2019s doctor, call 1-800-CDC-INFO, or visit www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents.
\nFor more in-depth information about tetanus, visit www.cdc.gov/tetanus.
\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommend all children receive their vaccines according to the recommended schedule.
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