# What? Who knew??? Tetanus shot



## Hive5ive (Nov 21, 2015)

My wife dropped by her local Md for her yearly checkup. During the conversation they brought up the bees and honey. Before she left the doc said "since you're working with bees you should have a tetanus shot". -Rant to follow......
In my opinion bees are about the most antiseptic livestock you could have. Granted we live in a rural area and she (the doctor) never brought up dogs, cats, chickens, pigs, cows, rabbits, mice, or anything else you can imagine on a farm. Why do you suppose she directed the requirement to working with bees?


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## Treehopper (Dec 9, 2012)

Uh, maybe the doc is behind on his/her tetanus quota? It is covered by insurance, right?


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

If you are more than 10 years past your tetanus shot, than it is standard medical practice to recommend one after an insect sting. Generally speaking, this is the "rule" for any sort of puncture injury; whether it be stepping on a nail, bitten by a dog (or chicken, or whatever), stung by an insect, stabbed by a jealous ex, etc.

Your actual risk of tetanus following a bee sting is fairly low - there are a few clinical reports of it occurring, with most occurring in countries with poor vaccine coverage. The reason your doctor recommended it - even though the risk is low - is that the consequences if you get infected are extreme. Even with modern treatment, the fatality rate of tetanus is ~13% in the US, and if you survive you have a high risk (30-50%) of living the rest of your life with moderate-to-severe disability.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

SuiGeneris said:


> If you are more than 10 years past your tetanus shot, than it is standard medical practice to recommend one after an insect sting....


"10 years since" is the key phrase. 
The rest is pretty much irrelevant.

I don't know how many punctures I got just over the last week while pruning my raspberry patch.
No one ever asked me IF if I have a raspberry patch. 
Got forbid, no one ever asked me if I grew gooseberries - guess what, I grow lots of gooseberries because we love them. 
I got a broken-off rose thorn point buried in my finger for a week - to deep to try to dig out (annoying, but it just dissolves on its own, not a big deal).
There is more.....

This now amounts to hundreds (?) of punctures and scrapes just over the last year.

That doctor ..... well, just laughable. A bee sting...


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

What if you are already disabled for life? Do the odds change?🤣🤣🤣


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

Yes. Less surface area to get stung.  :lookout:


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## gravelroad (Feb 8, 2016)

NasalSponge said:


> What if you are already disabled for life? Do the odds change?&#55358;&#56611;&#55358;&#56611;&#55358;&#56611;


Is that better or worse than life with out a colon and having a bag stuck to your stomach?
I will not post pics of it. Sorry...


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

gravelroad said:


> NasalSponge said:
> 
> 
> > What if you are already disabled for life? Do the odds change?������
> ...


Oh that is much worse! I was happy to have my amp after fighting a badly diseased foot for two years. A colostomy would be much worse......sorry to hear.


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## gravelroad (Feb 8, 2016)

NasalSponge said:


> Oh that is much worse! I was happy to have my amp after fighting a badly diseased foot for two years. A colostomy would be much worse......sorry to hear.


I got my ileostomy when I was in my 20's. Before then I was taking pills by the hand full, living in a hospital 50% of the time, and to sick to live life.

Sorry about the foot. 2 years is a long time for a health issue.


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## TomVA (May 4, 2018)

What about getting poked by some foundation wire? Small puncture, very little bleeding, what ever nasty little thing goes in stays in.


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## Hive5ive (Nov 21, 2015)

Some good points guys... (Sorry had to say it). Ten year thing definitely, poked by a foundation wire most definitely. I got bit by a snake last year, got mine updated then. Good till I'm 68, I'm sure someone will remind me then.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

Well I am in trouble then I catch as many as 30 stings a week and I haven't had a tet. Shot for 16 years! I've found the less I see the doctor the healthier my wallet and I are. All jokes aside when we get stung wenthrow some honey on it smoke the area and go on.


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

GregV said:


> "10 years since" is the key phrase.
> The rest is pretty much irrelevant.


How is it irrelevant; its the reason behind the medical recommendation:
Tetanus = low risk but severe outcomes; tetanus vaccine = immeasurably small risk, enormous benefit



GregV said:


> That doctor ..... well, just laughable. A bee sting...


If you had gotten tetanus and it was found your MD did not at least suggest the shot, they'd be liable for malpractice. Its called "doing their job" and "being competent".


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

It seems not all doctors agree on the issue of tetanus from bee/insect stings.

Consider these two ...


> Tetanus Shots and Stings
> 
> What You Should Know:
> You cannot get tetanus from a bee sting or other insect sting.
> ...


- and -


> It is also important to prevent the possibility of getting a tetanus infection. The skin broken by an insect bite could become infected with tetanus bacteria. You can prevent this type of infection by keeping up to date with tetanus shots. Adults should have a tetanus booster shot at least every 10 years.
> 
> https://www.summitmedicalgroup.com/library/adult_health/aha_insect_bites_stings/


:lookout:
Note that in each case I only included a snippet of the full page. Click the links to read the entire page.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

I am NOT arguing against the shot - I HAVE it. 
Your 10 year lapsed - just do it then.
That's the point.

The laughable part - you got bees, you have to have a shot... Wha?
Look, I grow potatoes for food and handle manure. Should I get a tetanus shot, Doctor?
Just plain silly talk.

You have to have that shot no matter what you do - period.
NOT because you now got a beehive. 
Your beehive is irrelevant. That's the point.


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## MimbresBees (Sep 22, 2016)

and this just goes to show that the medical profession has no clue when it comes to bee venom and the sting.

wadf Dr.


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> It seems not all doctors agree on the issue of tetanus from bee/insect stings.


Its not a case of disagreement - it is a case of an incompitent (or, if you're feeling generous, uneducated) doctor versus one who actually knows their stuff. Insect bites are the third most common transmission vector for Tetanus. When in doubt, look to see what the CDC (or your countries equivalent/the WHO) says.

If the former is your doctor, its time to find a new one.


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

GregV said:


> I am NOT arguing against the shot - I HAVE it.
> Your 10 year lapsed - just do it then.
> That's the point.


Except most people don't know when they had it last, and given the safety profile of the shot, its generally better for a MD to give the shot if there is any doubt as to the timing of the previous dose.



GregV said:


> Look, I grow potatoes for food and handle manure. Should I get a tetanus shot, Doctor?


Yes, as you would be considered high-risk. I'm on a 5-year booster cycle myself, due to my work as a microbiologist.

Its all risk management. The risk of tetanus vaccination - even in excess - is essentially immeasurable. The consequences of a tetanus infection, on the other hand, is extreme.


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

325 million Americans and only 30 cases a year....I know I am going to be up nights worrying about it.


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## SuiGeneris (Feb 13, 2018)

NasalSponge said:


> 325 million Americans and only 30 cases a year....I know I am going to be up nights worrying about it.


Well whadda know; you vaccinate most of the population against a disease and most of them don't get it.

Its almost like vaccines prevent infections or some such thing :scratch:


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## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

It may also be advisable because any beekeeper who assembles their own boxes for frames will sooner or later shoot a nail or staple that goes off course and bends out the side of the box and gets your finger or hand.

Tip in that regard: Look at the end of your brads or staples and see how the point is ground. It is more likely to bend perpendicular to the ground point face so turn your nail gun so that if the fastener bends it stays in the board instead of blowing out the side.

It's been two years since my last tetanus shot, a scary sharp 5/8" chisel 1" deep into my left hand, scar is almost gone but nerve damage is still a thing, so I'm good to go for 8 more years.


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## justin (Jun 16, 2007)

was it just a tetanus shot she got or the DTAP regiment? i love it when they ask how long since my last shot. i never have a clue so i usually get one.


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Just to add a consideration here. The doctor recommended the tetanus shot. He did not hold her down and make her get a shot. The point being that you should be involved in your medical care and make decisions for yourself. Most good doctors we'll have a conversation with you about the pros and cons of doing something and leave it to you to make a decision. I have been sick for a long time and it is empowering to be involved in your Healthcare decisions. While I usually follow a doctor's recommendation, there are times when I don't. But when I don't it is because I have researched something + weighed the risks versus benefits involved. Yes some doctors over recommend medications and procedures. Part of this is to cya. That's why you have to be involved and educated, so you can make the proper decisions for yourself. J


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## BigGun (Oct 27, 2011)

I haven't read the whole discussion so I may be repeating things. But, my wife had lesser reactions after getting one after suggestion by a doc


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## NPmoose43 (Jan 8, 2018)

Renewed mine last year and boy, what a week of sore shoulder I had! Definitely opt for your weak side. I don't remember the last one taking so long to heal.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

Worst thing about a tetanus shot is how badly my arm hurts for a few days after the injection. 

I tried to get a proactive rabies vaccine this year and the doc wouldn't do it, too expensive. Go figure.


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## 1102009 (Jul 31, 2015)

rwurster said:


> Worst thing about a tetanus shot is how badly my arm hurts for a few days after the injection.


Tell your doc to take it out of the fridge 2 hours before injection and it will not hurt.
Before taking a vaccination test your blood status. Mostly vac results last longer than it is recommended.
Take the injection when your protection is going on zero. It´s not good to inject too often. This stresses your immune system.
Tetanus protection is very important and if you are against vacs still consider tetanus. Rabies can be vaccinated after you are bitten.


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## Cloverdale (Mar 26, 2012)

NasalSponge said:


> What if you are already disabled for life? Do the odds change?🤣🤣🤣


I think he meant mentally disabled?


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