“Just A Tetanus Shot” Exposed
With much appreciation and respect, Guest Column by Ashley Hale:
So we had a scary ER trip last week with our son Coltston. Freak fall, tripping over his own foot, on the porch. He hit the top of his head on the corner of the smoker grill.
When we arrived, staff was kind and helpful. This is by no means against them, but this experience needs to be shared, because it was the perfect example at just how easily parents are UNinformed, frauded from the truth, and manipulated into procedures just simply because doctors can.
It's disgusting and disgraceful.
If you know me, you know we no longer vaccinate, I don't keep that a secret.
Becoming informed about the truth of vaccines was the best thing I've ever done for our kids. Not one regret.
The kids have never been sick, which fortunately means they've never seen a doctor, health wise. But accidents and injuries happen. Especially with boys.
Coltston was awake, coherent, and acting normal. No signs of a concussion, he didn't even cry, but there was just so much blood it took me by surprise. I knew he was more than likely going to need stitches. I cleaned the wound and applied gauze to his head and raced to the ER.
Entering into our room as I sat down on the hospital bed, holding him, not only did I have to stress worry about the severity of his injury, but I knew I would have to go into full defense mode here soon, because I know what's coming. And sure enough, it did.
*Nurse, takes vitals, asks standard medical information.*
"Allergies?"
"No ma'am,"
"Allergic to any medications?"
"None that we no of,"
"Up to date on shots?"
Boom, there it was..
"No ma'am" I replied.
"Last ones?"
"When he was 2 months, and now we no longer vaccinate."
"Pediatrician?"
"Don't have one."
*Finishes, exits*
Phew. Ok, good deal. Deep breath.
*Enters Doctor, and asks the same questions as the nurse.*
Dr. - "So, is he up to date on his vaccines?"
Me - "No sir, we do not vaccinate."
That defense mode I was talking about? Yeah. Activate.
He looks at me like they all do. Full eye contact, and an eyebrow raised with "concern."
Me - "After the reaction to his two month shots, that caused him to stop breathing, I did research myself of the risks, dangers and how unnecessary they are, so we no longer do. "
Dr. - "Is that so." "Who's the pediatrician?"
Me - "We do not have one."
*looks at me again *
Dr. - "So, no pediatrician?"
Me - "Correct...We were denied care, because he's "too healthy"."
Dr. - "So no vaccines at all?"
Me - " That is correct...."
At this point I'm irritated, thinking, can we drop this? and you look at the hole in my son's head please?!
Dr.- "Well we have a pediatrician on staff, so I'm going to get her to step in here with us."
*Enters Doctor with Pediatrician. And to note, never looks at Coltston, she just stands in the corner*
Dr. - "Ok, so how you do feel about Tetanus? because he's going to have to have that."
There it was. The moment I knew was coming. So, here we go..
Me- "That most definitely is not happening. For one, we don't have any cows on our property, for the possibility of the corner of our grill to have been sitting in any cow manure, for Tetanus to even exist to begin with.
2. As you can see his wound is literally bleeding? And once the wound bleeds, the oxygen automatically kills any Tetani that would form by the rare chance it even existed.
3. In order for the Tetanus shot to even be effective, he would have needed it 2-3 weeks ago, before this. And giving it to him now would be completely pointless?
4. Tetanus is not just "Tetanus," it's a combination shot, DTap, and that's what stopped his breathing before, so no. We're not doing it."
He paused and looked oddly impressed.
"Well, You are correct."
Then continues about options with either stitches or gluing the wound.
So BACK UP. Did you read that? Reread it.
"You ARE correct."
I just stated the shot was UNnecessary, INeffective, and a risk! He knew that, AND YET he still had every intention of giving our son DTap (Tetanus) anyway.
Especially even after I just stated about his reaction to DTap? He was still willingly going to inject our son with the same life threatening poison again??
I stated it was COMPLETELY POINTLESS, He KNEW all about the very info I said, yet he was still going to give it to him.
Excuse me, DO WHAT??
If that doesn't make your blood boil, you missed the whole point.
Say I didn't know any of the information I do about vaccines. Say I am just like most parents, and have very little to no understanding of any of it. And I just 100% trusted this doctor...He was dishonest, and withheld valuable, CRITICAL information from me?
Sadly this is the normal...That is why medical error is the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S. (before the PLandemic )
That's why it's called a PRACTICE.
Not everything is open heart surgery, you have access to the same information doctors do.
Do not be afraid to stand up or speak out! Or ask, and I'll come with you!
Research, ask questions, and get informed!
P.S. Coltston is just fine, he was just borderline of needing stitches. We just got it glued right up.
P.S.S. For all the Need-To-Know Tetanus info, see comments
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Tetanus info:
WHAT IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI?
It is characteristically anaerobic by necessity.
HUH?
Anaerobic basically means it can only begin its lifecycle in places without oxygen. In fact, in the case of clostridium tetani, the presence of oxygen causes tetani to form protective spores which cause it to fall dormant, preventing it from breeding or growing.
In other words, the best way to neutralize clostridium tetani is by introducing oxygen. BLOOD has oxygen.
Air has oxygen, so the best way to insure that any accidentally introduced clostridium tetani doesn't cause nerve damage is to breathe on it, or for it to bleed! So, If your wound bleeds, you're fine!
I JUST WAS INJURED, CUT, ETC. OR AM ABOUT TO HAVE SURGERY. SHOULD I WORRY ABOUT TETANUS?
Are you bleeding? If so, let it bleed any other yuckies out, but tetanus is NOT a concern for you.
Is the wound deep? If so, is it bleeding? If it is, the above applies, and you have no tetanus worries, but don't let yourself bleed to death!
Do you have a gash that needs stitches? If so, tetanus is not going to be a problem, but get stitches.
Did you break a bone that is still beneath the surface of your skin? Tetanus is not going to be a problem.
Did you break a bone that has broken through the surface of your skin? Tetanus COULD be a problem if you packed the broken wound with soil or animal feces. If you didn't do that, tetanus will not be a problem.
Note: if you broke your bone by being thrown from a bull in a rodeo and you got rodeo dirt in your break, tetanus COULD be a problem, but don't worry, we'll eliminate that as a problem in a bit.
Is the surgery you are about to have going to be done on the dirt floor of an animal stable? If so, tetanus COULD be a problem.
Is the surgeon planning on using surgical tools that were stored on the dirt floor of the barn that are wiped off to remove the manure that was caked on them with his shirt tail before using them on you? If so, tetanus will not be a problem, but find another surgeon anyway!
Do you have a puncture wound? If yes, you're getting into an area that tetanus COULD be a problem.
This puncture wound, did you step on a rusty nail? If so, GOOD NEWS!!! Rust needs oxygen to form, so there's a strong chance that it neutralized the clostridium tetani before you stepped on it! But ask yourself these questions:
Is the nail so rusty that the rust is flaking off? if so, tetanus COULD be a problem.
Is there a chance that the seriously brittle flaky rusty nail got buried in soil or feces AFTER the rust formed allowing for the potential that clostridium tetani spores got packed behind the rusty flakes, so that when the rusty nail penetrated your flesh the flakes “flaked off” exposing an anaerobic environment that the clostridium tetani could survive? If so, tetanus COULD be a problem for you. If not, it's not a problem.
Did you get a puncture wound while wading in mud or feces by something that was in that mud or feces? If so, tetanus COULD be a problem.
Did you step on a tack in your home office or a nail that just spilled out of the box you just bought for your home improvement project? If so, clostridium tetani will not be a concern unless the tack and nail were also buried in soil or feces when you stepped on them. If they were buried and soil and feces earlier, but you wiped them off before stepping on them, then you're in good shape as far as being protected from tetanus!
Are you still not sure about the condition of your puncture wound? If so, don't panic. There is hope ahead.
Have you burned yourself or otherwise caused cell damage on the surface of your skin? Depending on the depth and severity of the burn or cut, it could be a potential problem. If it was a deeper burn where the skin was seared away, depending on the environment and treatment plan, there is a chance for tetanus spores to enter those areas of dead tissue and begin their life cycle. For most household burns, just making sure that the area stays cleaned and cleared using a debridement technique of flushing regularly with clean water is typically going to be sufficient, and not a problem!
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I JUST READ THE ABOVE LIST, AND I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT TETANUS, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
Clean the wound thoroughly with soap and water and let it bleed enough to flush it with oxygen from the blood. And you are fine!
For deep puncture wounds fall into the “COULD BE A CONCERN FOR TETANUS DEVELOPMENT” category, I recommend thoroughly cleaning the wound with colloidal silver or clean water to cleaning out any debris that could cause an infection. And then squeeze the wound as much as possible to get blood out of it. The main purpose for this is that blood is oxygen rich and will neutralize the anaerobic clostridium tetani. Clostridium tetani is very easy to neutralize before it has a chance to begin it's 8-day life cycle that can release the tetanospasmin that could block your essential nerve transmitters.
WOULD IT BE A GOOD IDEA TO USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE INSTEAD OF, COLLOIDAL SILVER OR WATER TO CLEAN MY PUNCTURE WOUND?
Great question! After all, hydrogen peroxide is water with an EXTRA oxygen molecule (H2O2). But don't use it on a puncture wound, and only use it initially on other wounds. That extra molecule is unstable (which is why it fizzes) and can actually kill cell tissue. If flushed into a puncture wound, it could actually promote dead tissue inside the wound, which could help tetani thrive. Don't be tempted to cut it half with water either. Just use water; it has oxygen too!
Having said that, hydrogen peroxide IS excellent at destroying tetanus, but it may be at a cost you don't want to pay.
I HAVE CLEANED MY WOUND, AND I'M STILL REALLY CONCERNED. SHOULD I GET A TETANUS SHOT?
NO!!!!!!!!!! For one thing, the tetanus shot is ALMOST ALWAYS a combination vaccine which also contains the diptheria and pertussis vaccinations. Also, if you already have clostridium tetani in your system, the vaccination has no chance of working in a timely manner to prevent tetanus. It was designed to prevent, not treat tetanus.
If you have read all of the above and still concerned, ask your healthcare provider for the tetanus immuno globulin (TiG) if you have concern that you may have been exposed to clostridium tetani that you don't feel you can adequately neutralize by bleeding or cleaning.
This TiG is NOT a vaccination! It merely introduces the antibodies to fight the bacteria that may already be there in order to prevent them from affecting the nervous system. It is better than the shot because the shot is designed to assist your body in forming the antibodies for itself, which is not time efficient as having them available as soon as they're needed.
If the health care facility doesn't have the TiG, and you want it, don't panic. You have a minimum of eight days before the life cycle is complete and releases the concerning toxin, tetanospasmin, so wait for them to restock it or find someone who has it on hand. But check the label. It's not unheard of for them to mislead you into believing you're getting the TIG, when, in fact, they are giving you the trivalent tDaP, TDaP or DTaP vaccinations.
I HAVE A STRONG SUSPICION THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO CLOSTRIDIUM TETANI, BUT I HAVE HAD MY TETANUS SHOT AND THE BOOSTERS AT THE CDC RECOMMENDED SCHEDULE, WITH THE MOST RECENT HAVING BEEN ADMINISTERED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME THAT I DON'T NEED THE TETANUS SHOT BECAUSE I'M PROTECTED BY THE VACCINATION. I'M SAFE FROM TETANUS; RIGHT?
WRONG! Between 1995 and 1997, there were 124 suspected cases of tetanus with 14 resulting in a fatality. Of these 124, 64 had unknown vaccination status. They may or may not have been vaccinated, but if they were asked, they knew they didn't refuse the offered vaccination, so they weren't anti-vaccine and certainly didn't refuse the vaccination at the time of seeking medical treatment at the time of the suspected tetanus exposure. However, it must be realized that some of these people may not have sought medical attention at all at the time of the injury, so it may not have been offered. Of the 124, 60 had a KNOWN vaccination status, 27 had not had any doses of tetanus and 33 of them HAD received vaccinations, 10 of those died, so don't assume safety simply because you are vaccinated. Still follow the protocol of introducing clostridium tetani-neutralizing oxygen and, if indicated, ask for the tetanus immunoglobulin (TiG) to be administered within 8 days of the suspected introduction of the spores.
All in all. Oxygen, Air, and blood is your your best friend to avoid Tetanus.
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Beautiful education scenario. Backbone to Boot!!