Gardeners :tetanus shot? Do you get them or not...

[ThisSummerBetterBeDarnGood]

I was lampooned by a roses thorn the other day and it started to to red. Quick Google said tetanus is a risk with roses...

I think I had a tetanus shot about 13 years ago after a nasty burn... Do any of you pay for extra shots?

I've had a tetanus booster roughly every ten years. Apart from the one which was part of a set of travel jabs, they've all been free on the NHS.

I'm interested in knowing the answer to this. Hate wearing gardening gloves and always have lots of little nicks/scratches on my hands.

DH asked his dr about this recently and was told that, if you had your full range of tetanus jabs as a child, that should cover you for life.

However, I had a nasty wound on my hand a few years ago and the hospital gave me a tetanus jab 'to be on the safe side'.

@WashAsDelicates.
Really? How did you get it? Did they ask you or did you approach doctor surgery

Once you've had 5 you wouldn't normally get another unless you had an injury that was very dirty and hard to clean out

You only need a booster after the first 5 if you go travelling somewhere that has poor healthcare, or you get a dirty wound/animal bite.

Yes, if you had the full course as a child, that should cover you for life. I recently had a cut on very dirty ground though, and the hospital gave me a tetanus jab as I hadn’t had one for over a decade (not since childhood).

Last time I had one (probably 25 years ago) they told me that was enough for me for life.

I had a booster about ten years ago as I stuck a fork in my foot! Apart from that, I wouldn't have another.

I work as a gardener and spoke to practice nurse about this. He said what others are saying, that usually, childhood inoculations should cover you for life, unless you have a particularly dirty wound.

My GP refused to give me another as I had all I needed (as other pp are saying). If unsure give your GP a ring and ask them to check your notes.

I had the triple jabs (s they then were) as an infant, tetanus antitoxin at 12 after being bitten by an animal, a booster ten years later as it was needed for a uni placement, and another booster 10y later for travel (that was the one I paid for). 10-15y later I had to have one for work. At that point the nurse advised me that I was probably covered for life now. She said that 4 boosters gave lifetime immunity, but that it would not do me any harm to have more, which I would if I presented at hospital with a potentially dirty wound.

Sorry, I haven't actually answered your question!

Apart from the antitoxin, which was done at A&E, I requested all the others at the GP.

https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/tetanus

I grew up on a farm, and we had 5 yearly then 10 yearly boosters until the GP said we didn't need any more. I had one before I went travelling, too.

If I was advised to have another, I would, but the chances of me seeking medical advice just because a rose bush attacked me is low.

This is guidance for Australia not the UK though

@dementedpixie I think rusty nails and dog bites are just as prevalent in the UK as they are in Australia. Unless there is something magical about rusty nails in the UK?

I reckon that a conservative approach is a better approach. It’s not something I would prefer to find out the hard way.

@TheSandgroper I meant more the fact it talks about boosters at age 50 and 65 whereas that's not what's advised in the UK.

How odd I don't know how many I hadn't as always child