Cleaning Up After Flooding in Kentucky? Make Sure Your Tdap Shot Is Up-to-Date
While floodwaters don't increase your chance of contracting tetanus, the things you come into contact with in floodwaters could.
Tetanus Risks
I'll never forget in 2013 when I fell through a chair and a rusty crew ripped up the side of my leg (I still have the massive scar to prove it) it straight up did not feel stellar. The first thing my mom did was have me call my doctor to make sure my TDAP shot was up to date because she was afraid I would contract tetanus. Thankfully, my shot was up to date, and here we are 12 years later, and I'm happy to report I did not get tetanus.
I had always heard if you were bitten by an animal or happened to cut yourself on something like a rusty nail (or a rusty screw like I mentioned above), you needed to check your TDAP status, but I had no idea that there was a potential risk for tetanus when cleaning up after flooding. Recently, the Kentucky Department for Public Health reminded folks dealing with floodwaters to check their TDAP vaccination status.
Floodwater Clean-up and the TDAP Vaccine
The Kentucky Department for Public Health recently shared an infographic about checking your TDAP vaccination status while cleaning up after floodwaters. I had no idea that floodwater could be a tetanus risk, so I did a little digging to find out why.
According to the Infectious Diseases Society of America, floodwaters themselves don't increase the risk of contracting tetanus, however, it is recommended to keep your TDAP vaccination up to date because you may be at an increased risk of wounds, therefore an increased risk of tetanus.
Exposure to flood waters does not increase the risk of tetanus. Therefore, tetanus immunization campaigns for evacuees from flooding disasters are not needed. However, during evacuation and flood cleanup, emergency responders, cleanup workers and volunteers may be at increased risk for wounds. These workers should make sure they are up to date with tetanus vaccination before starting cleanup activities.
Why is the TDAP Vaccine Important?
According to the Infectious Diseases Society of America, tetanus is caused by a bacteria that can cause muscle spasms and lockjaw. Being vaccinated against tetanus is the best way to protect yourself as most tetanus cases take place in unvaccinated or partially vaccinated populations.
The IDSA says:
Tetanus or “lock-jaw” is a toxin-mediated, noncommunicable, severe and potentially fatal disease requiring emergency treatment. The disease is caused by an anaerobic bacteria, Clostridium tetani. Tetanus spores, ubiquitous in the environment, enter the body through any breach in the skin and can cause disease that is characterized by muscle spasms, particularly in unvaccinated on incompletely vaccinated people. Each year, about 30 cases of tetanus are reported in the United States. Nearly all cases of tetanus are among people who have either never received a tetanus vaccine, or have not completed the recommended childhood vaccination series, or adults who do not stay up to date with their 10-year booster shots.
As a bonus, the TDAP vaccine helps protect you from pertusis, or, as it's more commonly known, whooping cough. If you have any plans to be around babies, it's an important vaccine to make sure you're up to date with.