You probably don’t think about tetanus. It shouldn’t bother you. Not really. The vaccine handles it. For years. Since 2010 there were fewer than 40 cases a year in the US, according to the CDC. Most of those victims? People who skipped the shots. Or didn’t finish them.
Then it came back.
A new piece in JAMA points it out. Tetanus is rising in America. Quietly.
Andrus, a doctor at George Washington, isn’t mincing words. It hurts. If you don’t catch it fast it kills. Simple as that.
“It’s very painful and, if its not rapidly treated, its deadly.” — Dr. Jon Andrus
So why is this happening? And how do you keep from joining the stats?
The Germ That Waits
Tetanus comes from a bacterium called Clostridium tetani. The CDC says it hangs out in dirt. Manure too. Rust isn’t the cause but it’s where the bacteria likes to sit.
It’s everywhere. Kathryn Edwards from Vanderbilt wrote the JAMA report. She says it’s in the ground. It will always be there. Wait for an invitation.
You cut yourself. The bacteria slides in. Makes a toxin. You get sick.
What It Feels Like
It doesn’t hit instantly. Usually three days after exposure. Sometimes twenty-one. Then your body betrays you.
Lockjaw comes first. Muscles in your jaw clamp shut. Then comes the trouble swallowing. Your stomach spasms without permission. Every muscle goes tight. Painful stiffness. All over.
Headaches hit. You sweat. Fever rises. Your blood pressure and heart rate start acting weird. Seizures can follow.
It doesn’t stop at discomfort. It can tighten your vocal cords so you can’t speak or breathe. Broken bones from the spasms. Lung clots. Pneumonia from inhaling fluids.
In the US, one in ten cases is fatal.
Recovery? A marathon. Dr. Edwards explains the toxin sticks to your nerve endings. It stays put. Patients end up on ventilators for weeks. Maybe months. Convalescence is long. Grueling.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Is there a pandemic? No. Don’t panic yet. But the line on the chart is moving up. Public health folks are watching closely.
2023: 18 cases.
2025: 33 cases.
That data jump feels small until you look at the history. Since the vaccine became standard for kids in 1947 cases dropped by over 95%. So even a small bump raises red flags.
Who’s getting sick? Unvaccinated children. It fits a bigger cultural shift.
“We’re seeing that there is a more pushback against the tetanus vaccine.” — Dr. Kathryn Edwards
Four cases in kids who had never been vaccinated. Their parents told ER staff they refused the shot. The kids developed tetanus anyway.
It’s unsettling. Measles is making noise too. Hesitancy drives it both times. Dr. Edwards worries people will decide vaccines aren’t needed anymore.
Why take a risk on an old disease that’s supposedly gone? Because it wasn’t gone. Just waiting.
The Only Real Fix
The vaccine. That’s it.
Dr. John Sellick from Buffalo is blunt. Sticking to the schedule is key. Got a nasty cut? Go to a doctor. Ask if you need the booster. Take it.
The bacteria is still dangerous. Still here. Dr. Andrus puts it simply. If we don’t vaccinate ourselves and our kids the diseases come back. They always do.
So check your schedule. Did you finish it? Maybe not.
Is your life worth the risk of forgetting?
Probably not. But people forget all the time. 🦠
