A vaccine for tetanus

Tetanus is a disease that affects skeletal muscle fibers making them contract. The medical condition is brought on by the Clostridium tetani bacterium, which is an extremely powerful neurotoxin. Tetanus infection can usually occur in an open wound, pierce or puncture, contaminating it, leading toward a severe infection that causes muscles spasms.

The muscles we use for voluntary movement are those affected by the tetanospasmin (tetanus toxin), but without treatment the condition can progress and have a fatal effect. Mortality rates of tetanus are between 50 percent and 75 percent.

There are four forms of tetanus, which are equally severe. The generalized form represents a percentage of 80 from the total number of reported cases. It starts with facial spasms and continues to affect the whole body. This may take up to 4 weeks and recovery lasts months. Neonatal tetanus affects newborns and is usually caused by infection after the umbilical cord is cut.

Local tetanus affects only the area infected with the bacterium, causing muscle spasms. This form is very rare and fatal in only 1% of the time, but it could progress to a generalized tetanus. Cephalic tetanus is also rare and happens due to ear infections.

There is a vaccine for tetanus – tetanus toxoid. Being a toxoid, this Tetanus vaccine works by modifying the original bacterial toxin in order to weaken it but still keeping its immunogenicity. Formaldehyde is used in the process. The tetanus toxoid is also a component in the treatment of diphtheria and pertussis.

It is recommended that adults receive one tetanus shot every ten years in order to protect the body as the immune system cannot do anything to counteract tetanus, not even if the neurotoxin is present in large quantities. Children under 7 are also vaccinated for tetanus but in its combined version of DPT. It takes tetanus antibodies about two weeks to form and protect against tetanus.