Do I really need tetanus shots?

[CindBB]

Well last night I accidentally scraped my thumb on a rusty nail, do I really need to have a shot for it?

by the way Im asking this here as I trust you alls opinions more than some Doc who just wants to get paid.

 

[Milton]

How deep is the wound? Whats your vaccination status? Be sure to clean the wound, treat it with antibiotic ointment, keep it covered and clean, and be on the lookout for any symptoms that could point to signs of a tetanus infection.

 

[CindBB]

It's hard to tell, because it's underneath my thumb nail. I believe I last got a tetanus vaccine in China two years ago, but no one was able to fully explain to me what the shot the gave me was.

 

[Milton]

Did they give you any paperwork when they gave you the shot? Did you have a booster shot prior to this? Under the nail is rough to say the least.

 

[oldmusclemike]

Ya know I don't think any of us can answer the Q's correctly. But I have in my life cut myself on a nail or rusty fence and didn't get a shot. Milton is on it in the fact that it depends on a few things such as how bad the wound is and the status of the rust.

Do as Milton said, clean it good etc... and watch it for swelling and redness getting worse. I never run off and get one.

 

[JimiThing]

How deep is the wound? Whats your vaccination status? Be sure to clean the wound, treat it with antibiotic ointment, keep it covered and clean, and be on the lookout for any symptoms that could point to signs of a tetanus infection.

This is what I would do before I ran off to just get the shot, thats me however. No basis in fact or no medical background here!

 

[CindBB]

Did they give you any paperwork when they gave you the shot? Did you have a booster shot prior to this? Under the nail is rough to say the least.

Yes, but it was written in Chinese. I went to a very ah, local hospital - odd experience to say the least. I don't remember the last time before that I might have had a tetanus shot.