I grew up in a family paranoid about tetanus. If there was any sort of potentially infection injury or puncture (especially, but not exclusively, the proverbial rusty nail), records were consulted as to when I got my last tetanus shot. Nobody ended up growing a second head, and nobody got tetanus, and it all seems perfectly natural to me.
But I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that anti-vaxxers include tetanus shots in their holy regimen of Not Getting Vaccinated For Nuthin’.
Still, I suppose I have to admire this particular anti-vaxxing family’s dedication when, after having seen their kid nearly die of tetanus, with treatment including a month in the hospital, a tracheotomy so that he didn’t suffocate, and another month of rehab … they still refused to administer a tetanus shot for him.
Unlike measles anti-vaxxers, this isn’t going to infect anyone else. On the other hand, the hospital stay cost over $800K, and someone (i.e., other insurance holders, one way or another) will end up paying for it.
Do you want to know more? Anti-vax: Unvaccinated child with tetanus fights for life in Oregon
