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July 24, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Three Cases of Tetanus in Puerto Rico--Two Die"
Reuters Health Information Services (www.reutershealth.com) (07/22/02); McCook, Alison
A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserts that vaccinations for tetanus in Puerto Rico--which before this year had recorded no tetanus cases since 1999--are important, especially after three men contracted the disease, with two dying, during a four-month period earlier this year. For individuals who have received potentially tetanus-inducing injuries, the treatment approach depends on whether or not they have been vaccinated against the disease; current recommendations hold that a booster shot be given to anyone who has not had one within the past decade, as well as to anyone with a contaminated or deep wound who has not had one within the past five years. Individuals who have never received the primary tetanus vaccine should receive both the primary shot and a dose of tetanus immune globulin (TIG), according to Dr. Francisco Alvarado-Ramy of the Puerto Rico Department of Health. Alvarado-Ramy noted that the two men who died should both have received the vaccine and the TIG when symptoms first began to appear; however, he said that cases of tetanus are fairly infrequent, and some doctors may not be as likely to offer a shot for a disease they rarely see.
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