Welcome to North Shore Health Department North Shore Health Department Highlights 3/19/2019 Did you know? You may have seen a recent news story about the first child in the state of Oregon to contract Tetanus in the last 30 years. The United States has seen a 95% decline in tetanus cases and 99% in tetanus related deaths since the 1940s. This is largely due to the widespread use of the Tetanus vaccine and proper wound management. For this reason, tetanus is uncommon today, with only about 30 cases reported each year in the U.S. Nearly all of these cases occur in those who are unvaccinated. The bacteria that causes tetanus can be found almost anywhere in our environment, but especially in dust, soil, and manure. It usually enters through broken skin. The most common symptoms of the infection are tightening and spasms of the jaw muscles, which is why tetanus is often referred to as “lockjaw”. The healthcare costs to treat this disease can be astronomical. The boy in Oregon spent eight weeks in the hospital and his medical bills totaled more than $800,000. Children are fully vaccinated if they have received five doses of the DTaP series. The first three doses are usually given at 2, 4, and 6 months of age, the fourth dose at 15-18 months, and the final dose at 4-6 years. The CDC recommends booster doses are given every 10 years throughout the lifespan. Check the immunization status of your child or yourself on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) at https://www.dhswir.org/PR/clientSearch.do . Learn more about tetanus at https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/index.html To view the full CDC story, visit https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6809a3.htm Missed the highlights? Click here to view previous highlights.