You may need a tetanus shot if your last tetanus vaccine was 10 years ago or more
You may need a tetanus shot if you have a dirty, deep, puncture, or wound with rust, soil, saliva, or animal feces and your last tetanus shot was 5 years ago or more
You may need a tetanus shot if you are not sure when your last tetanus shot was
You may need a tetanus shot if you never completed the tetanus vaccine series
You may need a tetanus shot if you have a wound and have not had a tetanus booster since childhood
You may need a tetanus shot if you have a cut, scrape, burn, crush injury, or bite that breaks the skin
You may need a tetanus shot if you get a wound from a nail, knife, glass, or other object that may be contaminated
You may need a tetanus shot if you are pregnant and not up to date on Tdap
You may need a tetanus shot if you have a wound and your vaccination history is unknown
You should seek medical care right away if you have a severe wound or signs of infection
You should seek medical care right away if you have muscle stiffness, jaw stiffness, trouble swallowing, or spasms
You should check your vaccine records or ask a doctor, pharmacist, or clinic to review them
You should not wait if the wound is high risk and your tetanus status is uncertain