Tenivac Vaccine
Tenivac is a Td vaccine that immunizes adults against diphtheria and tetanus. It is a booster shot that is recommended every 10 years.
What type of vaccine is Tenivac?
Do I need Tenivac or Tdap?
Do I need a booster shot?
Is Tenivac a live vaccine?
Who should not get Tenivac?
What are common side effects?
What are rare side effects?
What are severe side effects of Tenivac?
Does Tenivac have thimerosal?
What else is in Tenivac?
Where can I get more information?
What is the Tenivac vaccine?
Tenivac® is an immunization against the bacterial diseases tetanus and diphtheria for people over 7 years old. It has been sold by Sanofi Pasteur since 2003. Tenivac is injected in the upper arm muscle.
What type of vaccine is Tenivac?
Tenivac is a Td vaccine. It contains a full-strength dose of tetanus (T) toxoids and a lower-strength dose of diphtheria (d) toxoids.
Do I need Tenivac or Tdap?
Tdap is a vaccine that is usually given to children who are 11 or 12 years old, but adults who did not get it at this age should still get one shot of Tdap to be fully protected against pertussis (whooping cough).
Ten years after Tdap, adults should get one shot of Tenivac. Booster shots of Tenivac are given every 10 years afterward. Tenivac and other Td vaccines do not contain the pertussis part of Tdap vaccines.
Do I need a booster shot?
Yes. Adults need booster shots against tetanus and diphtheria every 10 years, either with Tenivac or a generic Td vaccine.
Is Tenivac a live vaccine?
No. Tenivac contains modified bacterial toxins called toxoids that can’t cause tetanus or diphtheria. They trigger the immune system to respond and develop anti-toxins.
Who should NOT get Tenivac?
Tenivac should not be given to anyone who had a severe allergic reaction (e.g., anaphylaxis) to a previous dose of a vaccine against diphtheria or tetanus, or anything else in Tenivac (see below for a list).
Latex is found in the tip caps of the pre-filled syringe and it may trigger allergic reactions in people who are sensitive to latex.
Carefully consider the risks and benefits of giving Tenivac to people with a history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) within 6 weeks of a previous vaccine against tetanus or diphtheria.
What are common side effects?
In teenagers aged 11 to 18 years old, the most common side effects of Tenivac were pain (80%), redness (26%) or swelling (15%) where the shot was given, headache (23%), muscle weakness (32%), tiredness (15%), joint pain (16%), and fever over 99.5ºF (4.3%).
In adults aged 19 to 59 years old, the most common side effects of Tenivac were pain (75%), redness (16%), or swelling (17%) where the shot was given, headache (25%), muscle weakness (17%), tiredness (17%), joint pain (11%), and fever over 99.5ºF (5.7%).
What are rare side effects?
A review by the Institute of Medicine found evidence that tetanus toxoids can cause two rare side effects. One is Guillian-Barré Syndrome (GBS), which causes nerve damage and paralysis. It is estimated to occur after about one in a million tetanus vaccines.
The other rare side effect is Brachial Neuritis, another type of nerve damage that occurs in the arm where the shot was given. It can cause permanent shoulder pain, limited range of movement, and disabilities.
What are severe side effects of Tenivac?
- Allergic reaction
- Anaphylaxis
- Brachial neuritis
- Coma
- Death
- Enlarged lymph nodes
- Fainting and fall injuries after the shot
- Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS)
- Hypersensitivity (Arthus reaction)
- Latex reaction
- Muscle pain
- Nerve damage
Does Tenivac have thimerosal?
No. There is no thimerosal in Tenivac®.
What else is in Tenivac?
Tenivac has a natural rubber latex in the tip cap on pre-filled syringes, which can trigger allergic reactions in people who are allergic to latex.
Other ingredients in Tenivac include aluminum phosphate (0.33 mg aluminum) as the adjuvant, formaldehyde (less than 5 mcg), modified Mueller-Miller casamino acid medium without beef heart infusion, and ammonium sulfate.
Does this Td vaccine work for a 17 year old who has never had Tetanus shot in the past? Or Is this only used as a booster shot for people who had had previous regular Dtap shot?