Posted on 03/07/11 in Daily Sprout, No Comments

A few months ago a friend of mine mentioned that they had just been to the E.R. for treatment for a cut sustained by a piece of glass.  my friend said that the nurse had asked whether they were “up to date” on the tetanus vaccination; and when he said “no,” the nurse clucked her tongue and immediately insisted on giving my friend a tetanus shot, citing it as a necessary treatment for his wound.

HOW MANY THINGS DO I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HERE?

1.  Tetanus is a condition caused by infection with the bacterium Clostridium tetani, which thrives in unsterile anaerobic environments (the most common place to find it is in manure).  Read:  it does not like oxygen, and lives in filthy places.  yes, the garage is dirty, but it’s probably not smeared in feces…  =)  C. tetani is introduced into the body by a deep puncture wound from a dirty or unsterile object, and its growth depends on two things:  (1) lack of oxygen, and (2) presence of nouirishment.  Washing a wound well not only probably removes the bacterium, but also floods an area with oxygen (which is present in water).  In fact, “proper wound management” is credited with much of the success of avoidance or treatment of tetanus (see #4).

2.  about whether someone is “up to date”:  how about asking a more relevant question, like, does the person know whether they have immunity to tetanus?  having the vaccination and being immune are not one and the same.  Immunity is the intended RESULT of vaccination, but it is seldom if ever actually tested – it is assumed.  you can have a vaccine, and NOT be immune (no one told you that, did they?) because not all vaccines “work.”  actually, about 20% DO NOT, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the specific vaccine.

3.  Would the tetanus vaccine actually do a person any GOOD if they had come into contact with tetanus?  Honestly, probably not.  Immunity after vaccination is not immediate (oh, no one told you that either?).  The biological process by which the body recognizes the “bug” and creates immunity to it takes time (days to weeks) and, actually, adequate immunity usually requires not one but TWO exposures to the bug.  So really, if you have a deep puncture wound and you’re worried about tetanus, the vaccine provides you only with false security, and, to boot, a load of toxins delivered directly to your bloodstream (see #5).  The tetanus vaccine is considered by many healthcare providers to be the “dirtiest” of the vaccines, in fact, due to its chemical composition.

4.  and here’s a gem:

From 1990 through 1995 there have been an average of 49.6 cases of tetanus per year in the United States. nearly twenty — five percent (24.8%) of those who contracted acute tetanus had at least one dose of the vaccine and more than twelve percent (12.4%) of the patients were fully vaccinated, with three or more doses of tetanus.  (To be clear, this data indicates that in these cases, the vaccination failed to confer immunity). According to data from the National Vaccine Advisory Committee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, tetanus vaccination compliance rates hover around 50%, depending on age group….  meaning that at any given time, about half the population has NOT been vaccinated against tetanus.  And yet the actual occurrance of tetanus is very, very low. According to CDC data, one in approximately 1 in 5,198,200 people contracts tetnaus. There is a 20% mortality rate for tetanus if properly treated. That means that approx 1 in 25,000,000 people will die of tetanus in any given year. about 1800 people per year are struck by lightning and there is a 25% morality rate for this event. 1 in 143,240 are struck by lightning and 1 in 573,000 die. This is a lot of numbers BUT:  you are 44 times more likely to die from lightning than from tetanus.

Incidentally, if these statistics made your head tilt a little, I’ve posted more on Path of Life Chiropractic Health Center’s Facebook Page.  Inserting a shameless plug here for you all to “like” the page.  I post all sorts of goodies up there, some health-related, some decidedly not =)

5.  OK, if the odds of contracting or dying from tetanus are very low in the States in this day and age, what about the risks of having the tetanus vaccination?  Wait, no one told you there are risks?  they just leaned in menacingly with the needle and told you to bend over, because this shot is absolutely necessary and they’re not letting you out of the room without it?  Guess what:  there is a risk ANY time you introduce chemicals or pharmaceuticals into your body.  perhaps because…  drumroll please…  they’re not meant to BE there.  well, here are some known possible adverse reactions to tetanus vaccination:  moderate soreness at the site of injection (75% of cases), prolonged vomiting, prolonged diarrhea, and more flu like symptoms (approximately 1 in 100), or more severe effects such as tingling of the hands/feet, hearing problems, trouble swallowing, muscle weakness, seizures, or anaphylactic shock.  Wow, shoot me up, right?

It’s your decision.  but given the odds and the information above, I know that I’d rather clean the wound properly and thoroughly and depend on my body and my immune system (which I keep running as well as possible by eating well, hydrating, sleeping, exercising, and getting adjusted) to destroy any infection than rely on a shot that could make me a LOT worse.

In the end, who do you trust, the guy with the needle who’s not giving you all of the information, or the intelligence within your own body, that knows how to protect and heal you?

Dr. Eric’s Note:  I found this appropriate as a patient of mine emailed me about a week ago, asking about my opinion on getting a tetanus shot after getting cut on a trunk being stored in an attic.  The mis-information in the world of VACCINATION is ridiculous.  For those who don’t remember Dr. Haas, she worked with me for about two years, and has a PhD in biochemistry with post doctorate work done at Harvard.  she is bright, and a very well educated bright.