Tetanus (UV) is a dangerous disease that requires long-term treatment, is costly, and has a high mortality rate. The tetanus bacteria are present everywhere and can enter the body through wounds, even very small ones like puncture wounds, stepping on nails, scratches, or splinters from trees…
The disease can be prevented with the tetanus toxoid vaccine (VAT). Dr. Lâm Minh Yến, head of the Tetanus Department at the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Disease Hospital, stated:
– Thanks to the expanded vaccination program, tetanus in newborns has been almost completely eradicated. The same goes for women of childbearing age. However, currently, tetanus is more frequently encountered among men of working age between 15-45, especially among poor laborers, construction workers, and farmers. These individuals often work in conditions that expose them to injuries but do not know how to protect themselves or get vaccinated with VAT.
* Can you explain the correct way to get vaccinated with VAT?
The incubation period for tetanus is 7-10 days, with some cases lasting up to a month. Patients experience muscle stiffness, short spasms, and laryngeal contractions that can lead to suffocation and rapid death if not treated promptly. |
– If you have never been vaccinated with VAT, you will need to receive a “three-dose series”: the second dose is administered one month after the first dose, and the third dose is given 6-12 months after the second dose. This will provide protection for five years.
* After five years, how can one continue to maintain immunity?
– After five years, receiving a fourth dose will provide protection for ten years. Ten years later, receiving a fifth dose will extend protection for another twenty years.
* How will children be vaccinated against tetanus?
– Children will receive three doses of a combined vaccine (DTC) that protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough at two, three, and four months of age. A booster dose of DTC is given at 16 months. At six years old, a booster dose of VAT is administered. Parents often forget to take their children for this booster, which can reduce the effectiveness of immunity. Furthermore, if a booster is given again at 18 years of age, it will provide protection for 20 years.
A severe case of tetanus typically requires an average treatment time of five weeks, with costs ranging from 30 to 50 million VND. In contrast, the cost of each VAT dose is only 25,000 VND. Vaccination against tetanus is available at the outpatient department of the Ho Chi Minh City Tropical Disease Hospital, the Pasteur Institute, and several district health centers…
T.H. (conducted)
