# Tetanus boosters: how necessary are they?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tetanus-boosters-how-necessary-are-they/201889>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 16, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tetanus-boosters-how-necessary-are-they/201889 "2003-09-16T03:38:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tetanus-boosters-how-necessary-are-they/201889/1 "2003-09-16T03:38:57Z")

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I couldn’t tell you the last time I had a tetanus booster, but the pamphlets from medical insurance groups mention them as necessities for adults. Are they really? Does anyone actually go to the doctor and ask for them?

Curious…  
**viva**

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**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tetanus-boosters-how-necessary-are-they/201889/2 "2003-09-16T06:31:39Z")

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Any time one is injured, the ER will give a tetanus booster. Its good for 9 years, but if you don’t remember, an extra won’t hurt (sic) Tetanus is a very painful and fatal disease. You really don’t want to get it.

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**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tetanus-boosters-how-necessary-are-they/201889/3 "2003-09-16T18:11:55Z")

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Thank you. I will attend to it.