A member asked:

Two weeks ago i was working with old rusty nails and they touched an open wound on my hand. is it to late to get a tetanus shot?

3 doctors weighed in across 2 answers

Probably not: If you had a shot as a boy, all you need is a wound booster.

Answered 10/4/2016

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No: If it has been more than 5 years since your last tetanus shot, you should get a booster. A tetanus vaccine is effective for 10 years for a clean wound and 5 years for a dirty wound. A rusty nail would be "dirty" and you should have a tetanus shot again.

Answered 12/19/2017

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