Tetanus

Most people who get tetanus weren’t vaccinated against it or didn’t complete the entire vaccination schedule.¹

Tetanus bacteria gets into the body through a skin wound, scratch or animal bite. You can also catch the disease through unhygienic practices in hospital, by injecting drugs, through body piercings and tattoos, as well as eye injuries and burns.^1,3

Tetanus is found across the world, but some countries have higher incidences than others.²

Symptoms include: stiffness in the jaw muscles, painful muscle spasms that can affect swallowing and breathing, fever, sweating and rapid heartbeat.¹

Tetanus can cause problems with breathing and the heart. If left untreated, the symptoms can get worse over a short period of time.¹

You can take the following precautions to help reduce your risk of infection:

• Visit your nearest convenient pharmacy or specialist travel health clinic for a risk assessment before your trip
• Cleaning any new wound thoroughly will reduce the risk of infection but seek medical advice if you have a deep wound, there’s dirt or something inside the wound or if you are not sure if you have been vaccinated against tetanus^1,3