- Those affected by the floods in Valencia and volunteers carrying out clean-up and debris removal work are advised to check whether they have received the recommended doses for adults to ensure their protection
- Tetanus is a serious disease that is contracted by the entry of toxic spores through scratches, wounds or abrasions that can be very small and painless, and can affect the central nervous system.
The DANA catastrophe in Valencia, with more than 200 deaths and hundreds of millions in losses to homes, businesses and infrastructure, now threatens to become a health emergency. Infections, respiratory viruses, fungi and also tetanus are already threatening the health of the affected population and volunteers. For this reason, the professionals of the Ribera health group advise following the safety and hygiene recommendations and reviewing the vaccination schedule, to ensure, for example, that citizens are up to date with the doses of the tetanus vaccine that correspond to them.
“Tetanus is an acute, potentially fatal disease whose causal agent is Clostridium tetani, a bacillus found in the earth and soil, and whose toxic spores can enter the body through small wounds, tears, burns or even injuries that may seem insignificant,” warns Dr. Jorge Cavero, head of Preventive Medicine at the hospital. Ribera Povisa (Vigo). And the problem is that with the infection "there is an affectation of the central nervous system, due to the action of the toxin that attaches itself to the nerve endings," adds Dr. Carmen Díaz, a specialist in Family and Community Medicine at the hospital Virgin of Charity River (Cartagena), explains some of the most frequent symptoms: mandibular, cervical and abdominal stiffness, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, sweating and fever.
Thousands of people affected by the DANA in Valencia live in areas flooded by mud and full of rubble, ruins and wrecked cars, which are difficult to avoid when collecting emergency aid. Others have been trying for a week to remove the waste material to clear their homes, businesses or streets. And thousands of citizens have arrived from the city of Valencia and all corners of Spain to help with cleaning and debris removal tasks.
Dr. Cavero believes it is essential to review the personal vaccination schedule to check whether the prescribed doses are up to date for proper protection.
How many tetanus shots should you get?
The question that many people, affected people and volunteers, have is: Am I correctly vaccinated against tetanus? Do I have the recommended doses? Once the vaccination schedule has finished, around the age of 18, it is easy to lose track of the passage of time to update the necessary doses that protect against tetanus, especially when we have not suffered any serious injury of any kind. Dr. Cavero is blunt: “In disaster areas and cases, anti-tetanus vaccination is always strongly recommended.” Dr. Díaz reminds us that disaster areas “are a great source of infection, due to the accumulation of waste, with a high probability of suffering wounds and cuts from metal structures, broken belongings, branches, stones, contact with mud and clay:”. That is why it is necessary to review the vaccination schedule.
To maintain adequate immunity, Ribera healthcare group professionals recommend completing a “primary vaccination” with 3 doses, and subsequently, prescribing a dose of this vaccine every 10 years, “until completing the 5 doses with which an adult is considered to be well vaccinated.”
Population that must be well vaccinated
Dr. Cavero insists that “it is especially important for people who are in contact with soil, waste water and domestic animals; military personnel, police officers and other people exposed to a higher risk of suffering traumatic injuries, such as the volunteers and those affected these days in the DANA area, and older adults and the elderly exposed to a higher risk of suffering from tetanus, due to the mortality rate it entails.” In the case of children, it is included in the vaccination schedule and for babies it is important to guarantee maternal immunity, induced by the vaccine.
What happens if I get vaccinated again and I already had the correct doses?
“If you have been properly vaccinated, with all five doses, and for whatever reason you receive a new dose, there are usually no relevant side effects, although sometimes pain and slight swelling may occur at the injection site,” explains Dr. Cavero. It is recommended, however, to review your vaccination history and complete the schedule, trying to respect the minimum intervals between doses.
