Would you bother getting a tetanus booster?

[Limeric]

Yesterday morning I was opening a cat food tin and cut myself pretty badly on the back of my hand. It bleed like crazy and the wound was sore all day.

I put some manuka honey on it last night and this morning it was barely visible.

But I'm wondering now, should I have taken a tetanus booster jab, since I cut myself with metal? I called the GP yesterday but they said I could go to a walk in centre and have it checked. I didn't get a chance to do it but I still have a couple of hours until they close.

No I wouldn't
It's more for deep and dirty cuts than cuts from a tin

When was your last tetanus vaccine? I think they cover you for 10yrs now, but if you'd have 5 vaccines in total- you apparently have life long immunity.
I too would have got one if it was a rusty nail in the garden, and not for a tin can. I'm glad it healed so quickly.

I think I had a booster about 11 years ago when i was travelling to SE Asia. I must have had a few over the years, not sure how many.

Thank you for you advice x

If my booster was due, sure

It’s not something I’d think about, no. Tetanus is more for if you say step on a nail or a piece of glass from the ground because it’s a particular bacteria that is found in soil and animal droppings. It would be unlikely to be on a tin of food (which is usually sterilised at canning anyway).

Have you had children in the last 10 years? Tetanus is part of the whooping cough jab that you would be offered during pregnancy.

No, not for that

I wouldn’t have bothered for that clean it, keep it covered and carry on. I didn’t get one years ago after being bitten by a dog dr said I’d be fine without. Had one last week as its combined with the pertussis vaccine so will cover me for 10 years or so

Thank you, yes I had my DD almost 7 years ago. I'm so glad, I had no idea :). I had a stressful pregnancy and I just don't remember much.

You dont get regular boosters for tetanus after you've had your basic 5 doses. You get it if required for travel or if you have a deep wound that's is dirty.

I cut my fingers badly opening a can and the A&E Dr asked me when I'd last had my Tetanus jab. Couldn't remember so they gave me one. They said it was to be on the safe side (maybe microscopic rust particles in the metal?)

Tetanus is found in soil, ash, animal and human faeces, and on rusty tools.

I'm not sure this is a tetanus prone wound from what you describe.

So no I wouldn't personally.

Yes, that's what I read on NHS website. If you cut yourself with metal you should consider getting a booster.

But perhaps I'm covered since pregnancy.

Maybe it varies depending on where you live? Mine weren’t capped at 5 basic doses. Receive booster every 10 years. Will ask next time I’m in

No it's dirty cuts you need a tetanus booster for, a clean cat food tin is fine

You do get them if you have an injury or cut. My nurse gave me one when I injured my leg in the garden even though I was wearing jeans and no rusty items or soil touched my skin. I was also given one after a cat scratch.

I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't ensure they were up to date with their tetanus jabs if something reminded them they might not be, whether or not this particular cut is likely to be risky.

In the UK, being up to date with tetanus jabs is to have had a course of 5 which finishes as a teenager. You'd only get other ones for travel (if advised) and if you have a deep or dirty injury.

Doesn't that really depend on what kind of metal though. The metal on the ground which you don't know how dirty they are, I woud be worried. A clean cut from a cat food tin, I wouldn't. It's kind of common sense, isn't it?
But if you are worried, just get it.

It doesn’t have to be that deep. My injury was surface, I took the skin off my leg, and the nurse still insisted I have one.

I assumed a booster after a cut would be too late if not up to date already ?
DS had a deep cut on rusty metal recently and they just checked he'd had toddler jabs as felt already covered (due a teen booster next year )

Personally, no I wouldn't, unless the metal was rusty or particularly dirty.

The only time I went for a booster was years ago. I'd taken my dog for a walk in the local big park. I held a nut out for a squirrel on a bridge wall and the little bastard scratched me and drew blood. To make it worse, as I left the bridge, my dog went to the edge of the lake and fell in and the water was deep and filthy, and I had to put my hand in to grab her collar and yank her out. You can guess which hand I used 🤦‍♀️💉

Not for that accident tbh but I keep mine up to date.