How soon after an injury should you get a tetanus shot?

Tetanus prevention after injury is a decision based on two pieces of information: the wound and your previous doses. A puncture, bite, burn, crush injury, or wound contaminated with soil or saliva needs closer attention than a clean minor cut. The clinician also needs to know whether your primary vaccine series was completed and when the last dose was recorded. Depending on those details, vaccination or additional preventive treatment may be advised.

Wash the wound under clean running water, remove loose visible dirt without digging into tissue, and use gentle pressure for bleeding. Cover it with a clean dressing. Take your immunisation record if available, but do not postpone medical advice while searching for it. Mention the time and mechanism of injury, any bite or soil exposure, and whether foreign material may remain in the wound.

Arrange urgent assessment for a deep or gaping wound, uncontrolled bleeding, loss of feeling or movement, a bite, a dirty puncture, or an injury involving the eye, face, hand, or genitals. Seek emergency help for jaw stiffness, swallowing difficulty, muscle spasms, severe stiffness, or breathing difficulty. Tetanus symptoms need urgent treatment and are not a signal to wait for a routine appointment.

Ask whether the wound needs closure or other treatment, whether your vaccine record is complete, and whether a tetanus-containing vaccine is recommended now. Confirm the follow-up date and which injection-site reactions are expected.