Tetanus shot at the drugstore? Other boosters?

[SKL]

I know I'm overdue for a tetanus shot, so I thought of getting it at Walgreens.  (Also thinking about the shingles shot.)

They don't seem to offer a tetanus shot alone - just Td or Tdap.  The site says these boosters are recommended every 10 years.  Is this how it works now?  Nobody just does tetanus shots?  Do boosters for diptheria and whooping cough make sense or is this overkill?  And, which one should I get - Td or Tdap?  I don't have any known allergies.

[TechWife]

Do you have a primary care physician you can ask?

Also - the pharmacist should know the answers to these questions. You can call & ask before you go.

Edited February 12, 2022 by TechWife

[Tap]

Get the Tdap. All 3 need a booster.

[KSera]

2 minutes ago, SKL said:

I know I'm overdue for a tetanus shot, so I thought of getting it at Walgreens.  (Also thinking about the shingles shot.)

They don't seem to offer a tetanus shot alone - just Td or Tdap.  The site says these boosters are recommended every 10 years.  Is this how it works now?  Nobody just does tetanus shots?  Do boosters for diptheria and whooping cough make sense or is this overkill?  And, which one should I get - Td or Tdap?  I don't have any known allergies.

I would definitely get the one with pertussis added. I started doing that 10 or so years ago when it became evident that most pertussis is given to babies by adults. It’s such a dangerous disease to little babies that we’ve made sure to stay current on those since. I was pregnant around then and have never gotten a vaccine while pregnant before, but that was the first one I did it with and made sure all my older kids had it because I didn’t want any of us to give it to the baby. It’s one of those shots that’s not as effective in the ages at most risk from the disease. 

[Carol in Cal.]

Yes, we have quite a rash of pertussis around here again.  When I was pregnant I cut the top of my middle finger off in a fan in the middle of the night when I was really bleary, and went to the ER, and they were very insistent that I needed a tetanus shot and it only came with pertussis.  I can’t remember whether diphtheria was part of it or not.  I was reluctant (because pregnant) but ended up getting it.  There was no tetanus only option, and that was 25 years ago so it’s pretty entrenched as the recommendation.

I could never be an anti vaxxer, and one major reason is that I read “And The Ladies Of The Club”, which describes the slow, horrendous death of a little girl from diptheria.  Horrible.  I think we sometimes forget just how bad some of those diseases were because we don’t have any cases of them around anymore.

[EKS]

I don't know about diphtheria, but I do know that pertussis can circulate as a bad cough (or not even that) in the unboosted adult population, which is why they started recommending the booster.

Here's an article that talks about this: https://www.aarp.org/health/drugs-supplements/info-2020/tdap-booster.html

[Starr]

26 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I could never be an anti vaxxer, and one major reason is that I read “And The Ladies Of The Club”, which describes the slow, horrendous death of a little girl from diptheria.  Horrible.  I think we sometimes forget just how bad some of those diseases were because we don’t have any cases of them around anymore.

As a young nurse an older pediatrician said that exactly. He was still moved by all the children he treated in the hospital before vaccines were widely used.

[gardenmom5]

37 minutes ago, KSera said:

I would definitely get the one with pertussis added. I started doing that 10 or so years ago when it became evident that most pertussis is given to babies by adults. It’s such a dangerous disease to little babies that we’ve made sure to stay current on those since. I was pregnant around then and have never gotten a vaccine while pregnant before, but that was the first one I did it with and made sure all my older kids had it because I didn’t want any of us to give it to the baby. It’s one of those shots that’s not as effective in the ages at most risk from the disease. 

2dd (PharmD) required anyone who wanted to see 1gs have it before she'd allow them near him.  I reacted with a lot of swelling and a very sore arm for at least a week.

[wathe]

The recommendation here is that all adults should have a pertussis booster at least once.  CDC recommendation is the same.

tetanus and diptheria toxoids have been a combination vaccine forever (obviously not literally, but for a very long time).  They both need regular boosting every 10 years.  Both are only available as combination vaccines.

So, Td is appropriate for those who have already had at least one dtap in adulthood.  Though there is no harm in repeating dtap.  

Edited to fix very big error - pertussis booster at least once in adulthood, diphtheria toxoid every 10 years.

Edited February 12, 2022 by wathe

[wathe]

My brother very nearly died of pertussis in infancy.  I get dtap every 10 years.

[EKS]

41 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

I could never be an anti vaxxer, and one major reason is that I read “And The Ladies Of The Club”, which describes the slow, horrendous death of a little girl from diptheria.

This.

My mother had pertussis when she was five, and I grew up hearing about the awfulness of it.  Also both of my parents knew kids when they were growing up who died of childhood illness that are now preventable.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Agree with Tdap.

I would also get Shingrix.  I don't think that I would get them at the same time though.  I had a harder time with the Shingrix than even the Covid vaccine.  It's worth it though not to get shingles.  (This is a two part shot.  They will tell you how far apart the shots are.) 

[Pawz4me]

A few years ago the internal medicine doc I was seeing recommended the Tdap. He said he didn't think the tetanus part was a huge deal for most adults in the U.S., that if we step on a rusty nail or get bitten by a dog we could get one then and be fine. But he was pretty adamant that the pertussis part was important. I got it then and will get it again whenever it's due.

[katilac]

13 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

A few years ago the internal medicine doc I was seeing recommended the Tdap. He said he didn't think the tetanus part was a huge deal for most adults in the U.S., that if we step on a rusty nail or get bitten by a dog we could get one then and be fine. But he was pretty adamant that the pertussis part was important. I got it then and will get it again whenever it's due.

I'm glad that's not actually a choice, because that's a terrible way to think about it. Tetanus isn't only caused by big, obvious things like a rusty nail in your foot or a nasty dog bite. A sewing needle can also cause a puncture wound, but it won't make you think 'tetanus' like a rusty nail. It can also get in your body via dirt or bodily fluids in a wound or even an over-scratched insect bite. 

[Pawz4me]

4 minutes ago, katilac said:

I'm glad that's not actually a choice, because that's a terrible way to think about it. Tetanus isn't only caused by big, obvious things like a rusty nail in your foot or a nasty dog bite. A sewing needle can also cause a puncture wound, but it won't make you think 'tetanus' like a rusty nail. It can also get in your body via dirt or bodily fluids in a wound or even an over-scratched insect bite. 

Well, he was a bit .  . . different.

(And he's no longer my PCP because he was quite a bit too different for my liking. 😉 )

Edited February 12, 2022 by Pawz4me

[Tanaqui]

Diphtheria and whooping cough are extremely serious illnesses that can kill children and older adults, especially diphtheria. You can get them more than once. Your immunity from the vaccine does wane. It is absolutely not overkill to get the booster for all three diseases at the same time.

[Tanaqui]

re: Tetanus - tetanus is endemic in the environment. Rust does not cause tetanus. Rusty nails are not a very special vector for tetanus. I don't know why people are obsessed with this idea of rusty nails.

[Jann in TX]

Get the Tdap.

I had pertussis as an adult (14 years ago) before the booster was widely recommended.

I coughed for over 3 months -- closer to 4.  Not your regular 'I have a cold or flu or Covid' cough-- but deep, terrible, "better have Depends on" type of coughs night and day.  No medicine could bring relief.  HORRIBLE.

[Tap]

6 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

re: Tetanus - tetanus is endemic in the environment. Rust does not cause tetanus. Rusty nails are not a very special vector for tetanus. I don't know why people are obsessed with this idea of rusty nails.

That is interesting. I guess I always thought of the loose flecks of rust collecting dirt and bacteria. Not that the rust caused it, but that  rust creates pockets for the bacteria to collect. Since we usually use the expression 'stepping on a rusty nail" That this rusty nail, was likely laying on the ground outside, and that the nail's sharp point could break the skin, possibly even going through a dirty glove or shoe to get to the skin. 

Edited February 12, 2022 by Tap

[Tap]

3 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:

Get the Tdap.

I had pertussis as an adult (14 years ago) before the booster was widely recommended.

I coughed for over 3 months -- closer to 4.  Not your regular 'I have a cold or flu or Covid' cough-- but deep, terrible, "better have Depends on" type of coughs night and day.  No medicine could bring relief.  HORRIBLE.

I had the same experience. It seemed that for years after, whenever I had a cough, it was a bit worse than it would have been prior to having pertussis. It seemed to cause some damage that took years to recover from. 

[Tanaqui]

https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/about/causes-transmission.html

 

So, tetanus is highly likely to be spread through puncture wounds that are contaminated with dirt, feces, or saliva. And yes, if there's a nail on the ground (where your wound will be contaminated with at least one of the three) then it's probably rusty. But your best protection is to not wait until you have a scary puncture wound, but to just keep your vaccinations up to date regardless.

You'll note that tetanus can be contracted even in what would appear to be low-risk situations - like if you get a mild scratch that doesn't even draw blood, or a small bug bite. Ironically, given that people are extra cautious when it's obviously a dirty wound, it may be the case that cases of tetanus are disproportionately high from those low-risk situations. Who goes to get a new tetanus shot when they get a bugbite or scratch themselves a little on a bramble?

[ScoutTN]

1 hour ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Agree with Tdap.

I would also get Shingrix.  I don't think that I would get them at the same time though.  I had a harder time with the Shingrix than even the Covid vaccine.  It's worth it though not to get shingles.  (This is a two part shot.  They will tell you how far apart the shots are.) 

This.

While my only symptom from the shingles shots was a sore arm, it was VERY sore for at least a week. Totally get it, but not with another shot.

[wathe]

46 minutes ago, Tanaqui said:

re: Tetanus - tetanus is endemic in the environment. Rust does not cause tetanus. Rusty nails are not a very special vector for tetanus. I don't know why people are obsessed with this idea of rusty nails.

I think it's because rusty nails are likely to be also old and dirty, and because stepping on a nail often results in a deep, narrow puncture - the kind of wound that tetanus likes.  So, it's not the rust, it's that rusty nail injuries are often both dirty (soil contaminated) and deep.

Edited February 12, 2022 by wathe

[wathe]

25 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:

Get the Tdap.

I had pertussis as an adult (14 years ago) before the booster was widely recommended.

I coughed for over 3 months -- closer to 4.  Not your regular 'I have a cold or flu or Covid' cough-- but deep, terrible, "better have Depends on" type of coughs night and day.  No medicine could bring relief.  HORRIBLE.

Yes, pertussis is nick-named the 100-day cough. It's no joke, even for adults.   A friend of mine had it in her 30's. Fractured her ribs coughing.  

[Kassia]

15 minutes ago, wathe said:

Yes, pertussis is nick-named the 100-day cough. It's no joke, even for adults.   A friend of mine had it in her 30's. Fractured her ribs coughing.  

Two of my kids had it really bad when they were teens.  Apparently, the booster was fairly new and our family doctor wasn't aware of it and I didn't know about it either.  It was awful - there were times I thought they were going to die.  I'd go in the closet and cry while DH would stay with them while they were having their cough episodes.  My oldest ds had a mild case and his was caught in time to be treated, then DH and I started having symptoms and were treated right away so we were fine.  The only one in our family who wasn't affected was my youngest, who had recently been vaccinated (she's 8 years younger than my twins who had it bad).  And it lasted so so long - so many days and nights of those horrible coughing episodes.  😞  

 

[Kassia]

29 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

This.

While my only symptom from the shingles shots was a sore arm, it was VERY sore for at least a week. Totally get it, but not with another shot.

DH was very sick from his shingrix shots and even sicker from his tetanus - he was so sick from tetanus that I almost called the doctor because his reaction was so severe.  Every ten years he says he's not going to do it again but then he forgets and I don't remind him. 

 

48 minutes ago, Jann in TX said:

 

I coughed for over 3 months -- closer to 4.  Not your regular 'I have a cold or flu or Covid' cough-- but deep, terrible, "better have Depends on" type of coughs night and day.  No medicine could bring relief.  HORRIBLE.

My kids coughed so hard that we were afraid they would pass out.  And, like you said, there was nothing to give them relief.  Night and day for months and months.  And you'd never know when the next attack would occur.  

[SeaConquest]

Tdap (aka Boostrix) is every 10 years in the US, or if you are going to be around an infant. We have quite a bit of pertussis in the US because of anti-vaxxers. Also, the acellular version of the vaccine has less side effects, but also wanes faster, so people really do need to be boosted. Most of the time, when infants die of pertussis, it is because they are too young to be vaccinated and they get it from caregivers who haven't been boosted. So, our strategy is to cocoon the baby around boosted folks as much as possible. You will have a sore arm, as is typical, but tends not to generate a lot of side effects for most folks.

Shingrix I highly recommend because shingles is awful and very very common. It causes nerve pain that can get in your eyes, your groin, it just sucks. And people get it younger and younger. You can get Shingrix after age 50. Two doses, spaced 2-6 months apart. That's all you need. It can be pretty reactogenic for a lot of people (especially the second shot), so get it over a weekend or when you have some time off. I highly recommend it, but just mentally prepare for some down time in case you need it. Doesn't happen to everyone, of course, but I always like to warn people before I give it.

Edited February 12, 2022 by SeaConquest

[Kassia]

34 minutes ago, SeaConquest said:

Shingrix I highly recommend because shingles is awful and very very common. It causes nerve pain that can get in your eyes, your groin, it just sucks. And people get it younger and younger. You can get Shingrix after age 50. Two doses, spaced 2-6 months apart. That's all you need. It can be pretty reactogenic for a lot of people (especially the second shot), so get it over a weekend or when you have some time off. I highly recommend it, but just mentally prepare for some down time in case you need it. Doesn't happen to everyone, of course, but I always like to warn people before I give it.

Yes, better to get bad side effects (like my poor DH) then a bad case of shingles.  I had almost no reaction to my shingrix shots other than a very sore arm.  DH was really sick with both but he is really sensitive to vaccines and I rarely have issues.

[kbutton]

Definitely do pertussis! I was livid when I found out that my former chiropractor's family had it (he didn't), and he didn't tell anyone in the practice until afterwards or take any special precautions. He mentioned it like it was a badge of honor. Anyway, chiropractors in our state tend to be anti-vax, and I think you mentioned that you see one. 

I plan to get my shingles vaccine asap when I turn 50. I had grand plans to actually do it on my 50th before I learned about the side effects. Now I just plan to do it at a convenient time but not ruin my actual birthday, lol! I had a mild case of shingles in high school, and I know it's more damaging and more agonizing with age.

There were some thread a while ago about various hepatitis shots that aren't on the schedule in some states (A?), and I know that Hep B was not routine when I was a kid. I have considered getting me and the kids Hep A shots and getting Hep B for myself. I like my liver.