Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information
Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization
Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at
http://www.immunizationinfo.org.
The Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a statement that 39 percent of
the people who contracted tetanus in 2001 did so while gardening or doing yard
work. The agency made the announcement in an attempt to raise awareness of
tetanus and its dangers--as well as the fact that there is a vaccine available
for the prevention of the disease. Tetanus is most often caused by deep puncture
wounds, but it can, in fact, enter the body through any cut in the skin, even an
insect bite. The CDC recommends a tetanus booster every 10 years, yet just 47
percent of adults obtain the booster--an easy way to obtain failsafe protection.
DISCLAIMER:
All information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided here
is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as
reflecting the knowledge or opinions of the publisher, and is not to be
construed or intended as providing medical or legal advice. The decision
whether or not to vaccinate is an important and complex issue and should
be made by you, and you alone, in consultation with your health care
provider.
"A foolish faith in authority is the worst enemy of truth."
-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves, and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them, but to inform their discretion by education."
-- Thomas Jefferson, letter to William C. Jarvis, September 28, 1820
"What's the point of vaccination if it doesn't protect you from the unvaccinated?"
-- Sandy Gottstein
"Who gets to decide what the greater good is and how many will be sacrificed to it?"