Can I drink alcohol after getting a tetanus shot?

Tetanus is a specific infection related to trauma. When our bodies are accidentally injured, such as a cut, we generally need a tetanus vaccine. However, the chance of being infected with tetanus is generally not high. Tetanus is very harmful. In order to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine, many things cannot be done. So, can you drink alcohol after getting a tetanus shot? Let’s take a look below.

After receiving a tetanus shot, you cannot smoke or drink, as it will be detrimental to wound healing.

Things to note after getting a tetanus shot

Pay attention to observation

There are currently two types of commonly used tetanus shots. One is the commonly used refined tetanus antitoxin, which can cause anaphylactic shock, so an allergy test must be done before injection. The other is tetanus immune globulin, which has no allergic reaction, so no test is required before injection.

However, since tetanus immunoglobulin is expensive and not yet widely available, tetanus antitoxin is widely used. Therefore, after receiving the tetanus shot, you should pay attention to whether there is an allergic reaction. Generally, you need to observe for half an hour before leaving the hospital.

Wound care precautions

The antibodies obtained through injection immunization neutralize toxins instead of killing tetanus bacteria. After receiving the tetanus shot, you still need to pay attention to preventing wound infection, take medicine as prescribed by the doctor, and be careful not to let the wound get wet to prevent the wound from being seriously contaminated and infected, producing more toxins, resulting in the inability to completely neutralize the exotoxins even with the conventional dosage.

Dietary precautions

Within one week after the tetanus injection, you should be careful not to eat spicy and irritating foods, acidic foods, strong tea and coffee, or drink alcohol. Eating forbidden foods can easily make the tetanus toxin ineffective.

If you get injured again, you still need an injection

The tetanus shot is an antitoxin, not a vaccine. It can only neutralize the toxin but cannot inhibit or kill it. Therefore, the injection of tetanus antitoxin is an immediate prevention and the effect lasts for a very short time. If you are injured again in a short period of time, you need to analyze the specific situation. In fact, as long as there are new deeper wounds, you need to be re-injected. This is why a booster shot is needed when the trauma is severe.