just asked my sister who is a SISTER on surgical ...its 10 years Jen ....I had to have one as it was 14 years since the last

Hope you are ok. Was it your dog or someone elses? It is a bit of a shock isn't it.

Inca you are right however, I have found some interesting reading which may explain why people such as myself are being told in some instances that they are covered for life after a booster. I had numerous blood tests and so was told I am immune for life and possibly that's what happens to others too. (I always understood that it was 10 yearly before I was told that too). Think this is in America judging by the vaccine spacing but it still may explain better than I can;

Immunogenicity and Vaccine Efficacy
After a primary series (three properly spaced doses of tetanus toxoid in persons 7 years of age and older, and four doses in children younger than 7 years of age) essentially all recipients achieve antitoxin levels considerably greater than the minimal protective level of 0.01 IU/mL.
Efficacy of the toxoid has never been studied in a vaccine
trial. It can be inferred from protective antitoxin levels that
a complete tetanus toxoid series has a clinical efficacy of
virtually 100%; cases of tetanus occurring in fully
immunized persons whose last dose was within the last
10 years are extremely rare.
Antitoxin levels decrease with time. While some persons
may be protected for life, by 10 years after the last dose,
most persons have antitoxin levels that only approach the
minimal protective level. As a result, routine boosters are
recommended every 10 years.
In a small percentage of individuals, antitoxin levels fall
below the minimal protective level before 10 years have
elapsed. To ensure adequate protective antitoxin levels,
persons who sustain a wound that is other than clean and
minor should receive a tetanus booster if more than 5 years
have elapsed since their last dose. (See Wound Management
for details on persons who previously received fewer than
three doses.)
Vaccination Schedule and Use
DTaP (diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis
vaccine) is the vaccine of choice for children 6 weeks to
7 years of age. The usual schedule is a primary series of four
doses at 2, 4, 6, and 15–18 months of age. The first, second,
and third doses of DTaP should be separated by a minimum
of 4 weeks. The fourth dose should follow the third dose by
no less than 6 months and should not be administered
before 12 months of age.
If a child has a valid contraindication to pertussis vaccine,
pediatric DT should be used to complete the vaccination
series. If the child was younger than 12 months old when
the first dose of DT was administered (as DTaP or DT), the
child should receive a total of four primary DT doses. If the
child was 12 months of age or older at the time that the first
dose of DT was administered, three doses (third dose 6–12
months after the second) completes the primary DT series.
If the fourth dose of DTaP, DTP, or DT is administered
before the fourth birthday, a booster dose is recommended at
4–6 years of age. The fifth dose is not required if the fourth
dose was given on or after the fourth birthday.

hope the info helps but in any case I would have your tetanus booster as Inca advised unless blood tests show it's not needed.

Kath XX

i went to see a behaviour case for my course. the people failed to mention the dog bites. its not a bad bite, just a small one, but it did draw blood, and i have a bruise in the shape of teeth marks further up my leg.
was my own fault really, i should have asked more questions b4 i went there.

The owner should have taken responsibility for letting you know. Don't blame yourself.

That's horrid Jen - hope you feel better soon hon xx

The NHS says 5 doses of tetanus vaccines gives lifetime immunity. Heres a link to the Scottish nhs cos can`t get the English 1 to work, but I`ll give it anyway.

They have a different procedure in America

http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/pub...munisation.pdf

http://www.druginfozone.nhs.uk/Docum....pdf?id=503233

That will be right Christine as I'd had loads of boosters (due to various cuts ect.) so that would be why I was told (after blood tests) that I didn't need anymore.

Kath X

I had to have one in Liverpool before I could work at an inner city farm, I thought it was because of the pony and donkeys there but they said that it was because it was built across from Walton prison they had previously used the ground as a paupers grave and gradually the bones sometimes work their way up to the surface so you needed a tetanus in case you got scratched by an old bone
Then about 4 years later I went to CA and had to have another one as part of the immigration conditions.

Keep a close watch on it Jen, my OH's mum got bitten by a friends dog, she was bitten at 4.30am cleaned it up, it was her first time going to crufts (hence the early start) she got a 1st and was on a high so forgot about the bite by the time she got home, had tea and went to bed she had a red line going up her arm, she was so tired she nearly fell asleep with out noticing it luckily she did and we got her to the hospital where they said she had the worse type of blood poisoning and would have most likely not have woken up that morning if she had of fallen asleep and not noticed line! She spent two days in hospital on a drip but was fine, but was a very scary experience and taught us all a lesson!