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Tetanus Vaccine
About Tetanus Vaccine
Emil von Behring and Shibasaburo Kitasato developed the tetanus antitoxin in 1890. Behring pioneered the concept of passive immunization using animal derived antibodies. The modern tetanus toxoid vaccine was developed in 1924. The vaccine is highly effective, providing long lasting immunity. Tetanus is caused by Clostridium tetani, a bacterium found in soil. The disease causes severe muscle spasms, including lockjaw. Tetanus can be fatal even with modern intensive care. Tetanus toxoid is given in combination vaccines such as DTaP and Tdap as part of national immunisation schedules, which vary by country, including in the use of booster doses. Maternal tetanus vaccination prevents neonatal tetanus, which killed hundreds of thousands of newborns annually as recently as the 1980s. Many countries have since eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus, though not all.
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