Tetanus is a disease affecting the nervous system. It is caused by bacteria that enter the body through a cut in the skin, but is not transmissible person to person. Tetanus may follow elective surgery, burns, deep puncture wounds, crush wounds, otitis media (ear infections), dental infection, and animal bites. Symptoms include lockjaw, stiffness in the neck and abdomen, difficulty swallowing, muscle spasms, nervous system disorders and death in about 1 out of 10 patients.
Prevention: Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) vaccine
Frequency: Adults should receive the vaccine/booster shot once every 10 years.
Diphtheria is a respiratory disease caused by bacteria that is extremely rare in the United States but is still endemic in other parts of the world. It can be spread through coughing or sneezing and contaminated foods or objects. The recovery is slow and infected individuals can remain contagious anywhere from 4 days to 4 weeks. Although it’s rare here, unvaccinated individuals can still contract it from abroad. Employees should receive the vaccine if they are traveling to a country where it is prevalent.
Prevention: Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) vaccine
Frequency: Adults should receive the vaccine/booster shot once every 10 years.
Pertussis is a bacterial respiratory illness. It is usually spread from person-to-person through close contact, like an office setting, where when someone coughs or sneezes respiratory droplets are released. Early symptoms of pertussis are similar to the common cold and include runny nose, sneezing, and a low-grade fever. However, it includes severe spasms of coughing which become progressively worse and can last for several weeks or even for months.
Pertussis, or whopping cough, is one of the most commonly occurring vaccine preventable diseases in the United States. It is highly contagious and in the last decade, there has been a rise in incidence in all age groups. It is associated with a prolonged or severe cough, which can last anywhere from weeks to months. According to the CDC, the reported number of cases, in 2005, was over 25,000, but a vast majority goes unreported, with some experts estimating the actual number of cases to be one to three million.
Prevention: Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis) vaccine
Frequency: Adults should receive the vaccine/booster shot once every 10 years.