Anti -high vaccination is very effective (more than 95% of vaccinated subjects are protected) but does not provide lasting protection. That’s why it is necessary to carry out the antitanic vaccine not only to children, but also in subsequent ages
The vaccine against tetanus (or antitanic) is one of the six vaccines contained in the hexavalent vaccination.
This vaccine protects from tetanus, a very dangerous infectious disease due to Clostridium Tetanibacterium that grows only in the absence of oxygen (i.e. it is anaerobio), and is present in nature both in the vegetative form, active and able to reproduce, and in the form of spore. When the bacterium is in the vegetative form, it produces an extremely powerful and toxic toxin for the central nervous system cells.
Tetan is not contagious, that is, it is transmitted from person to person. The contagion generally takes place through the contact of a wound with the soil contaminated by the spores of the bacterium: the spores can penetrate the tissues through the wound and if they are in the absence of oxygen can be transformed into vegetative forms, which produce the toxin. Toxin acts on the cells of the nervous system, interfering with the activity of the muscles and causing contractions and spasms. The risk of death is high and depends on the timeliness with which the treatment is undertaken.
Anti -high vaccination is very effective (more than 95% of vaccinated subjects are protected) but does not provide lasting protection. That’s why it is necessary to make the antitanic vaccine not only to children, but also in subsequent age.
Below we answer the most frequent questions about the topic.
What is the vaccine composed of?
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The vaccine contains an inactivated shape of the tetanian toxin, that is, a toxin made completely harmless. In addition, the vaccine generally contains aluminum salts, which act as “adiuvanti”, that is, with the aim of stimulating the response of the immune system.
As already mentioned, the antitotanic is not available as a single vaccine, but inside the combinated combined vaccine, or together with antidifterite and antipertoxy vaccines (DTP), or together with antidifteritis, antipertroxos and antipolio (DTPP).
When to do the antitetanic?
The primary exavalente vaccination cycle provides for three administrations to be carried out in the third, fifth and eleventh month of age.
Recall of the antiitectanic
Periodic calls are planned: the first recall between 5 and 6 years of age and the second in adolescence around 12-13 years (combined DIFTerite-tetan-tapos-pi-political, dtpp vaccine). Recalls are subsequently recommended every 10 years of age, to guarantee antibody coverage against tetanic toxin.
Is the antitetanic mandatory?
The antitanic vaccination is among the 10 mandatory vaccinations in Italy.
The primary cycle (hexavalent vaccination) and the two calls in pediatric age and in adolescence (DTPP vaccine) are mandatory.
With the exception of some professional categories at risk of tetanus, for which the compulsory anti -stain vaccination is required (for example, agricultural workers, breeders, urban clearness, etc.), the references to be carried out in adulthood are recommended but no longer mandatory.
Antitetanic: how long does the coverage last?
Generally, the coverage guaranteed by the antitanal vaccine does not have a long duration and for this reason periodic calls are recommended. 10 years is the optimal time interval to carry out these calls, this does not mean, however, that the antitanic coverage has passed 10 years has necessarily exhausted.
In many people who have carried out the primary cycle and the two calls expected in pediatric age and in adolescence the level of antibodies can be able to block the tetanus toxin even after 30 or more years. The only way to evaluate whether this protection is still active would, however, be made cyclically of blood tests for each individual.
The strategy of periodically offering the remnants of the vaccine to the adult population is the most efficient one to ensure high general antitanic coverage.
In any case, it is extremely important to carry out the references of the antitanal vaccination after 65 years, since in the elderly the response of the immune system weakens and the antibody coverage is reduced. It is no coincidence that the over 65 age class is the most at risk of illness.
Antitanic: side effects
The side effects of antitanic vaccination are similar to those reported for other vaccinations. The most frequent ones are pain and swelling at the point where the injection, fever, malaise, headache was carried out.
In very rare cases (about a case out of 1 million doses of vaccine) serious allergic reactions may occur.
Antitetanic in pregnancy
The antitetanic is administered in pregnancy simply because it is included in the DTP vaccine, which also contains the pertussis vaccine, strongly recommended for pregnant women.
The available data show that the DTP vaccine is safe during the pregnancy for both the mother and the fetus.
