Tetanus-containing vaccines

Tetanus vaccination can prevent your child from developing potentially fatal complications after getting dirt in an open wound

Type of vaccine

Various combination vaccine options are available

Protects against

Tetanus

Primary course

3 doses

Boosters

2

Suitable for ages

From 8 weeks

What is the tetanus vaccine?

Tetanus (sometimes known as “lockjaw”) is an extremely dangerous illness that kills up to one in five people who contract it, even with the best modern treatment. It is caused by bacteria called Clostridium tetani. This bacteria lives in soil and the manure of animals such as cows and horses and can enter the human body via open wounds, burns or insect bites.

A choice of combination vaccines is available containing protection against tetanus alongside protection from other illnesses such as diphtheria or whooping cough. There is no longer a single tetanus vaccine available in the UK.

Offering different tetanus vaccination options gives you more choice about what’s best for your child. After speaking to you in the initial consultation, we can create a fully tailored vaccination schedule.

How do tetanus-containing vaccines work?

Vaccines that include protection against tetanus use an inactivated version of the tetanus toxin, which enables your child’s body to make the defensive antibodies that fight against tetanus without causing the disease.

Who should have a tetanus-containing vaccine?

It’s recommended that all children have a tetanus-containing vaccine.

Tetanus vaccine FAQs

It is no longer possible to have a single tetanus vaccine (Tetanol Pur) as this was discontinued in August 2022.

The current recommendation is that children need three doses of tetanus-containing vaccines to be confident of good, long-lasting tetanus immunity, followed by boosters when needed.

Tetanus-containing vaccines are generally well tolerated, although most recipients experience mild side effects that self-resolve within a short time. These mainly consist of local reactions at the injection site, such as redness or tenderness.

Other side effects of tetanus-containing vaccines can include fever, drowsiness, fretfulness, vomiting, and going off feeds. Please check the Patient Information Leaflets below for known side effects of each different tetanus-containing vaccine.

As with any vaccine, please let us know If your child has a history of allergies or is allergic to any of the ingredients in the various tetanus-containing vaccines (you can find this information on the relevant vaccine pages).

Combination vaccines are given as an injection in the thigh or upper arm.

Following a primary course and two boosters, the protection provided by tetanus immunisation is estimated to last for around 10 years, after which it slowly decreases. Booster shots every decade or if someone experiences an open wound that might be vulnerable to the tetanus bacteria (for example, stepping on a rusty nail or cutting yourself while in the garden) help to maintain immunity.

Babies are most likely to receive the DTaP (3-in-1), DTaP-IPV (4-in-1) or DTaP-IPV+HIB (5-in-1) combination vaccines.

Three doses of the above can be given at intervals at any time from eight weeks in age upwards. Two booster doses are recommended four and 14 years after the primary course.

Yes. If it’s been more than 10 years since your last dose of a tetanus-containing vaccine when you experience a tetanus-prone wound, you will be given a booster dose.

However, it should be noted that this booster dose will not protect you from getting tetanus from the current injury (if you were to get tetanus at this time, it would need to be treated with tetanus immunoglobulin via IV). The booster dose is just given to provide protection in the event of future injuries.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes. The tetanus-containing vaccines are given as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme.

The full course of vaccination includes five injections, usually given on the following schedule:

Tetanus-containing vaccine ingredients

On the tabs below, you will find ingredient information and links to the Patient Information Leaflets for the UK standard vaccines that protect against tetanus. Other suitable vaccines may be available for your child based on the clinical need, but this must be discussed during a consultation to ensure you are given the appropriate advice and prescription for your child’s needs.

Name: Infanrix-IPV+Hib (5-in-1 DTaP, IPV & Hib vaccine)

Age: Suitable from age six weeks to three years

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, IPV & Hib

Active ingredients: Not less than 30IU diphtheria toxoid, not less than 40IU tetanus toxoid, 25μg pertussis toxoid, 25μg filamentous haemagglutinin, 8μg pertactin, 40 D antigen units poliovirus type 1, 8 D antigen units poliovirus type 2, 32 D antigen units poliovirus type 3, 10μg HIB capsular polysaccharide

Other ingredients: 25μg tetanus toxoid (as conjugate), lactose, sodium chloride, Medium 199 (containing amino acids (including phenylalanine*), mineral salts (including sodium and potassium), vitamins (including para-aminobenzoic acid) and other substances), water for injections

The vaccine may contain traces of formaldehyde, neomycin and polymyxin which are used during the manufacturing process

It contains para-aminobenzoic acid <0.07 nanograms per dose and phenylalanine 0.036 micrograms per dose

* Phenylalanine may be harmful if you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up because the body cannot remove it properly.

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.5mg**

** Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: Yes

Licensed for use in the UK

Infanrix-IPV+Hib Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Vaxelis (6-in-1 DTaP, Hep B, IPV & Hib vaccine)

Age: Suitable from age six weeks up to 15 months (however, NHS England recommends it for up to 10 years of age for those with incomplete vaccination status)

Manufacturer: Sanofi Pasteur

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis B, polio & Hib

Active ingredients: Each 0.5 mL dose contains not less than 20IU diphtheria toxoid, not less than 40 IU tetanus toxoid, Bordetella pertussis antigens [20 mcg pertussis toxiod (PT), 20 mcg filamentous hemagglutinin (FHA), 3 mcg pertactin (PRN), and 5 mcg fimbriae types 2 and 3 (FIM)], 10mcg Hepatitis B surface antigen, Poliovirus (Inactivated) [Type 1 (Mahoney) 40 D antigen units, Type 2 (MEF-1) 8 D antigen units, Type 3 (Saukett) 32 D antigen units], Haemophilus influenzae type B polysaccharide [3 mcg Polyribosylribitol phosphate, 50mcg conjugated to meningococcal protein]

Other ingredients: Sodium phosphate, water for injections

* Aluminium phosphate and amorphus aluminium hydroxyphosphate sulphate are included in the vaccine as adjuvants. The vaccine may also contain traces of glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, neomycin, streptomycin, polymyxin B, and bovine serum albumin

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.32mg*

* Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Vaxelis Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Revaxis (3-in-1 dT-IPV vaccine)

Age: Suitable from age six

Manufacturer: Sanofi Pasteur

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus & polio

Active ingredients: 2U diphtheria toxoid, 20IU tetanus toxoid, 40 units type 1 polio, 8 units type 2 polio, 32 units type 3 polio

Other ingredients: Phenoxylethanol, ethanol anhydrous, formaldehyde, acetic acid (pH adjuster), sodium hydroxide (pH adjuster), Medium 199 (a mixture of amino acids including phenylalanine, mineral salts, vitamins, polysorbate 80, hydrochloric acid (pH adjuster), sodium hydroxide (pH adjuster) and other substances), and water for injections

REVAXIS contains 10 mcg phenylalanine in each 0.5ml dose, which is equivalent to 0.17 mcg/kg for a 60kg person. Phenylalanine may be harmful to people with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic disorder in which phenylalanine builds up because the body can’t remove it properly

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.35mg*

* Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Revaxis Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Boostrix-IPV (4-in-1 dTap-IPV) (low doses of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and polio vaccine)

Age: From age three and upwards

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline

Protects against: Diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough & polio

Active ingredients: 2IU* diphtheria toxoid, 20IU tetanus toxoid, 8µg pertussis toxoid, 8µg filamentous haemagglutinin, 2.5µg pertactin; Inactivated poliovirus – type 1 (Mahoney strain), 40 D-antigen unit type 2 (MEF-1 strain), 8 D-antigen unit type 3 (Saukett strain), 32 D-antigen unit

*International units

Other ingredients: Medium 199 (containing amino acids (including phenylalanine**), mineral salts (including sodium and potassium), vitamins (including para-aminobenzoic acid) and other substances), sodium chloride and water for injections

** Boostrix-IPV contains phenylalanine which may be harmful to people with phenylketonuria (PKU)

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.5mg***

*** Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Boostrix-IPV Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Name: Repevax (4-in-1 Tdap vaccine with IPV)

Age: Suitable from age three

Manufacturer: Sanofi Pasteur

Protects against: Tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough & polio

Active ingredients: Diphtheria Toxoid (not less than 2 International Units (2 Lf)); Tetanus Toxoid (not less than 20 International Units (5 Lf)); Pertussis Antigens: Pertussis Toxoid 2.5 micrograms, Filamentous Haemagglutinin 5 micrograms, Pertactin 3 micrograms, Fimbriae Types 2 and 3 5 micrograms; Inactivated Poliomyelitis Virus (produced in Vero cells): Type 1 (Mahoney) 40 D antigen units, Type 2 (MEF1) 8 D antigen units, Type 3 (Saukett) 32 D antigen units

Other ingredients: Phenoxyethanol, ethanol, polysorbate 80, water for injections

REPEVAX may contain traces of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, streptomycin, neomycin, polymyxin B and bovine serum albumin

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: 0.33 mg*

* Some manufacturers’ leaflets reference the amount of the aluminium compound (e.g. aluminium hydroxide), whereas we have calculated the amount of elemental aluminium within the compound

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products?: No

Licensed for use in the UK

Repevax Patient Information Leaflet: Click to view

Aftercare

We’ll give you detailed aftercare advice for your child after their vaccination(s), including what to do in the event of any side effects.

Your child may experience some redness, tenderness and/or swelling at the injection site, so it’s helpful to expect this. These side effects should self-resolve within a few days.

You can download our Patient Aftercare leaflet here.

If your child is unwell outside of clinic hours, please call 111 for advice or go to A&E if they need urgent medical attention.

Individual advice about the tetanus-containing vaccination

Need advice about which tetanus-containing vaccine would be suitable for your child? The BabyJabs team is here to listen and answer your questions to help you decide.