tetanus

September 5, 1998

I found this in some old archives I have from e-mails. I found it

interesting. It was written by a doctor keep in mind.

><<Subject: Re: Tetanus immune globulin

>

><<< What I'm asking is if you could compare what you know about both

and some

>of the reasoning behind your personal decision that the vaccine is much

>safer.>>>

>

><<<But what types of things do you think the alcohol fractionation

process

>misses in the plasma donated by what you consider less-than-desirable

donors?

>>>>

>

>The risk of serious reactions to tetanus vaccine is exceedingly rare

(although

>I have personally witnessed/treated an anaphylactic response to tetanus

toxoid

>-- see my previous post on this). The risk of adverse reaction

increases with

>each additional vaccination/booster given. It is quite common to have

local

>discomfort, and perhaps even swelling and some redness, after a

vaccination.

>It is possible, but much less common, to have

>general " creepy " symptoms for a day or two, even up to a week in rare

cases.

>But serious reactions with or without long-term sequelae are far lower

for

>tetanus toxoid than for any other vaccine. The effectiveness of the

vaccine

>is also the highest of all commercially-available vaccines.

>

>The organism that causes tetanus (Clostridium tetani) is widely

distributed in

>soil almost everywhere, especially in climates with abundant rain.

Although

>the common myth is that " stepping on a rusty nail " is the source of

infection,

>actually any puncture wound, however minor, can carry the offending

organism

>into the body. The organism can only grow in the absence of oxygen, so

some

>type of puncture wound or other relatively deep, narrow

>wound is typical. Many ordinary wounds fall into this category,

however, the

>most common being in people who encounter an unexpected thorn while

>gardening..... although the wound itself may seem quite trivial, the

>possibility of C. tetani infection is very real.

>

>Most physicians have never seen a case of tetanus, and are unlikely to

even

>include it in an initial differential diagnosis when evaluating a

patient with

>appropriate symptoms. The offending wound may have been so minor that

the

>patient will not recall it, even in the most detailed of medical

histories.

>So it is not reasonable to assume that the need for TIG in an

unvaccinated

>person will be recognized at an appropriate time, because the illness

>may not be diagnosed at all. The question of availability of

non-expired TIG

>is another valid issue.

>

>The alcohol-fractionation method is highly effective against HIV (which

is

>actually a fairly fragile virus), but the research that I have read has

left

>me with many doubts regarding its effectiveness against Hepatitis B and

>Hepatitis C. Hep B, especially, is an incredibly durable virus.... it

can

>survive and remain infectious at room temperatue on a hard surface for

at

>least a week, even after the surface being washed down with

>alcohol!! (This is why my children are all immunized against Hep

It can

>also survive extremes in temperature.

>

>The solvent-detergent method is better, but still not 100%.

Solvent-detergent

>plus heat-treating, followed by alcohol-fractionation appears to be

very, very

>safe, but this sequence of treatments is quite expensive, and not FDA

>required. Alpha Therapeutic Corporation does both solvent-detergent

and heat-

>treatment procedures -- I don't know for sure about other

manufacturers. But

>God forbid you should be in need of TIG and be at a small community

>hospital and their TIG is from a company that you don't know anything

about!

>

>Food for thought.....

>

>Dr. Mari

>

September 5, 1998

I have a question for Lana. You said you would consider getting Cody

vaccinated against tetanus when he is older (5-6). Do you live in a

high-risk area, such as a farm? Or do you believe the tetanus vaccine

would be beneficial regardless? We don't live on a farm, but perhaps I

should be considering this shot for our daughters. What's everyone's

opinion on this?

Kate

At 06:02 AM 9/6/98 -0400, you wrote:

>From: Mark & Lana Clifton <mclifton@...>

>

>Janet wrote:

>Anyway, we haven't continued vaccinating except against tetanus. I'm

>not sure that's even a good idea any more, but we live on a farm and we

>thought there might be a big risk of tetanus.

>

>Although I am not pro-vaccine, I agree that the tetanus may be the safer in

>the long run, in your situation. The tetanus vaccine is (supposedly) the

>less-riskier of them all. Although it STILL contains formaldahyde with a

>number of other toxins, it has proven to have far less reactions than the

>others.

>

>Tetanus lives in the manuer of cows, which deposits into the soil, that can

>live in the soil for many, many years. If it comes into contact with an

>open wound on the leg or foot, it is possible to be infected with

>tetanus...which does not have a high recovery rate.

>

>I have read that proper hygeine and cleaning of the wounds can prevent

>infection, but you can't always expect children to come running home

>whenever they get a boo-boo.

>

>I have also considered getting tetanus for our son. Not now, or for the

>next few years...but prolly when our son gets to be around 5-6--about the

>time when he starts to play on his own.

>

>Janet wrote:

>They say a serious reaction is rare. I have rare children. And I'd

>like to KEEP them. )

>

>me too :-)

>

>Lana

>mama of Cody Ukiah

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

September 5, 1998

Hi again,

Well tetanus is the only one we really considered. though I'm still very

unsure about it. I had this is an old e-mail:

From 1990 through 1995 there have been an average of 49.6 cases of

tetanus per year in the United States. Compared to total population,

that means approximately 1 in 5,198,200 people contract tetnaus.

There is a 20% mortality rate for tetanus if properly treated. That

means that approx 1 in 25,000,000 people will die of tetanus in any

given year. About 1800 people per year are struck by lightning and

there is a 25% morality rate for this event. 1 in 143,240 are struck

by lightning and 1 in 573,000 die. This is a lot of numbers BUT:

You are 44 times more likely to die from lightning than from tetanus.

I have also read what Lana had to say about it living in the manuer of cows

but I also read conflicting reports to that so this one is hard, who do

you believe?. There are only an average of 2 people here a year that get

tetanus(2 million people live in my province) and most doctor will NEVER

see a case. We also live in a big city.

I'm still unsure and would love to hear other views!

I have a question for Lana. You said you would consider getting Cody

vaccinated against tetanus when he is older (5-6). Do you live in a

high-risk area, such as a farm? Or do you believe the tetanus vaccine

would be beneficial regardless? We don't live on a farm, but perhaps I

should be considering this shot for our daughters. What's everyone's

opinion on this?

Kate

At 06:02 AM 9/6/98 -0400, you wrote:

>From: Mark & Lana Clifton <mclifton@...>

>

>Janet wrote:

>Anyway, we haven't continued vaccinating except against tetanus. I'm

>not sure that's even a good idea any more, but we live on a farm and we

>thought there might be a big risk of tetanus.

>

>Although I am not pro-vaccine, I agree that the tetanus may be the safer

in

>the long run, in your situation. The tetanus vaccine is (supposedly) the

>less-riskier of them all. Although it STILL contains formaldahyde with a

>number of other toxins, it has proven to have far less reactions than the

>others.

>

>Tetanus lives in the manuer of cows, which deposits into the soil, that

can

>live in the soil for many, many years. If it comes into contact with an

>open wound on the leg or foot, it is possible to be infected with

>tetanus...which does not have a high recovery rate.

>

>I have read that proper hygeine and cleaning of the wounds can prevent

>infection, but you can't always expect children to come running home

>whenever they get a boo-boo.

>

>I have also considered getting tetanus for our son. Not now, or for the

>next few years...but prolly when our son gets to be around 5-6--about the

>time when he starts to play on his own.

>

>Janet wrote:

>They say a serious reaction is rare. I have rare children. And I'd

>like to KEEP them. )

>

>me too :-)

>

>Lana

>mama of Cody Ukiah

>

>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

September 5, 1998

Hi . From reading that, it would seem silly to vaccinate against

tetanus. But I guess you have to consider the author's words: " proper

treatment " . How long does it take for the tetanus to really take hold? Do

you need immediate attention? Cuz that would be hard to do if your child

was cut while out playing away from home. And also, in the last article

you sent re tetanus, that doctor claimed that people get infected without

even realizing they sustained a wound. AAARRGH!!!!! Why can't anything be

simple and worry-free?

To go back to an earlier question, is anyone else worried about a polio

threat due to " post polio syndrome " ?

At 08:59 PM 9/5/98 -0600, you wrote:

>From: Mom2Q <Mom2Q@...>

>

>Hi again,

>

>Well tetanus is the only one we really considered. though I'm still very

>unsure about it. I had this is an old e-mail:

>

>>From 1990 through 1995 there have been an average of 49.6 cases of

>tetanus per year in the United States. Compared to total population,

>that means approximately 1 in 5,198,200 people contract tetnaus.

>There is a 20% mortality rate for tetanus if properly treated. That

>means that approx 1 in 25,000,000 people will die of tetanus in any

>given year. About 1800 people per year are struck by lightning and

>there is a 25% morality rate for this event. 1 in 143,240 are struck

>by lightning and 1 in 573,000 die. This is a lot of numbers BUT:

>

>You are 44 times more likely to die from lightning than from tetanus.

>

>I have also read what Lana had to say about it living in the manuer of cows

> but I also read conflicting reports to that so this one is hard, who do

>you believe?. There are only an average of 2 people here a year that get

>tetanus(2 million people live in my province) and most doctor will NEVER

>see a case. We also live in a big city.

>

>I'm still unsure and would love to hear other views!

>

>I have a question for Lana. You said you would consider getting Cody

>vaccinated against tetanus when he is older (5-6). Do you live in a

>high-risk area, such as a farm? Or do you believe the tetanus vaccine

>would be beneficial regardless? We don't live on a farm, but perhaps I

>should be considering this shot for our daughters. What's everyone's

>opinion on this?

>

>Kate

>

>At 06:02 AM 9/6/98 -0400, you wrote:

>>From: Mark & Lana Clifton <mclifton@...>

>>

>>Janet wrote:

>>Anyway, we haven't continued vaccinating except against tetanus. I'm

>>not sure that's even a good idea any more, but we live on a farm and we

>>thought there might be a big risk of tetanus.

>>

>>Although I am not pro-vaccine, I agree that the tetanus may be the safer

>in

>>the long run, in your situation. The tetanus vaccine is (supposedly) the

>>less-riskier of them all. Although it STILL contains formaldahyde with a

>>number of other toxins, it has proven to have far less reactions than the

>>others.

>>

>>Tetanus lives in the manuer of cows, which deposits into the soil, that

>can

>>live in the soil for many, many years. If it comes into contact with an

>>open wound on the leg or foot, it is possible to be infected with

>>tetanus...which does not have a high recovery rate.

>>

>>I have read that proper hygeine and cleaning of the wounds can prevent

>>infection, but you can't always expect children to come running home

>>whenever they get a boo-boo.

>>

>>I have also considered getting tetanus for our son. Not now, or for the

>>next few years...but prolly when our son gets to be around 5-6--about the

>>time when he starts to play on his own.

>>

>>Janet wrote:

>>They say a serious reaction is rare. I have rare children. And I'd

>>like to KEEP them. )

>>

>>me too :-)

>>

>>Lana

>>mama of Cody Ukiah

>>

>>------------------------------------------------------------------------

>>

September 6, 1998

Well, I don't have to worry about cow manure on our little farm. )

But there is manure from everything else, though how likely it is we'll

be getting it into cuts is another question. Goat manure is

considerably different from cows', and nobody goes into the fields

without their shoes. Then again, it is a most excellent fertilizer in

the garden.

The one and only case of tetanus I've ever heard of was a couple three

years back up in Pennsylvania. One of the Mennonite families had a

child who fell into a rose bush while playing or something, and got a

thorn in his little nose. He got tetanus, and if I remember right, did

not live through it.

When my daughter was two, she was bitten severely by a dog. The damage

was pretty extensive, and on one side of her head, her ear was torn

away, and barely attached. The doctors were very negative about it.

Since she was completely unvaccinated, they would not stitch the ear

back to her head. They said to do so would practically guarantee

tetanus. They also said that the ear healing was doubtful..that it was

one of the hardest areas to heal up. They gave her some kind of tetanus

globulin (?) and they gave her major penicilin to take (after a big shot

of it), and taped her ear to her head. After two days I took her back,

as the tape prevented air getting to the wound, and the flesh began to

literally rot. (Even though I cleaned every reachable area of it several

times a day.) They removed the tapes - infection had set in. They

doubted she would keep her ear.

I had to take her to the doctor every two days for several weeks. All

that they did was continue to check her ear for infection.

She healed beautifully. Once the tapes were gone, I was able to keep it

clean. Air was able to get to it and it improved immediately. Her

ear looks like anyone else's just about now, even though there were

large chunks torn out and gaps. They were sure plastic surgery would

have to be done, but that hasn't had to happen. There is no way it

would have healed this nicely, perfectly , if they had sewn it up.

I give the credit to God. The whole church was praying for her. )

Janet W.

--

The beginnings of our homestead, homeschool, and home business resource

page! What else would you like to see placed on it?

http://spitfire.cwv.net/~clover

September 6, 1998

All the statistics just seem to confuse me further....from the mothering

vaccination book, it quoted a death rate of 4-10 out of the 42 cases

reported in 1992---thats almost 50%...which gives reason to be of concern.

I live outside of a large city, Atlanta; in hopes of moving out towards

greener pastures....although it seems to me that tetanus is very, very,

rare (at least in the past 20 years) why isn't it more common if it can

live in the soil for a long time??..you would think many, many people would

contract tetanus

.......food for thought.

Lana

mama of Cody