Tetanus: The Booster Most Adults Have Never Taken
The primary tetanus series you received as a child protects you for roughly ten years. After that, the immunity drops below protective levels. A 2019 study published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research found that tetanus cases in India disproportionately affect adults over 30, not unvaccinated children, because the adult booster is almost never administered in routine care. The Td (tetanus-diphtheria) booster takes one shot, costs under ₹100 at most government hospitals, and covers you for another decade. If you have had a deep wound, a burn, or any contact with soil or animal waste in the last ten years and cannot recall a booster, you are likely unprotected.
