WHAT IS TETANUS?
Learn more about this serious disease
Tetanus is a serious, often fatal disease caused by bacteria known as Clostridium tetani. The bacteria are commonly found in soil, especially soil treated with manure. People get tetanus when the disease-causing bacteria enter the body through an open wound, such as a cut or scrape.1
The major symptom of tetanus is painful muscle spasms. These muscle spasms can cause stiffness of the neck, hardness of abdominal muscles, and trismus (also known as “lockjaw”).1
Vaccination with ADACEL vaccine can help prevent three serious diseases—tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis. Ask your doctor if ADACEL vaccine is right for you and your family.
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Click below to learn more about tetanus.
What is tetanus?
The symptoms of tetanus
Tetanus is more than just rusty nails
Reference: 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Atkinson W, Hamborsky J, McIntyre L, Wolfe S, eds. 10th ed. Washington, DC: Public Health Foundation, 2007.
SAFETY INFORMATION
Indication
Adacel vaccine is given as a single dose to people 11 through 64 years of age for active booster immunization for the prevention of tetanus (lockjaw), diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough).
Safety Information
Side effects to Adacel vaccine include injection site pain, redness, and swelling; headache, body ache, tiredness, and fever. Tell your doctor if you have ever experienced a severe brain disorder, such as encephalopathy (altered consciousness) or Guillain-Barré syndrome (severe muscle weakness), after a previous dose of a tetanus toxoid- or pertussis-containing vaccine. Other side effects may occur. Vaccination with Adacel vaccine may not protect all people receiving the vaccine.
For more information about Adacel vaccine, talk to your health-care professional.
Last modified: 2/20/09
