Tue 9 February 2010
The vaccines > Td/IPV > The diseases > Tetanus
How common is tetanus?
Tetanus immunisation was introduced into the routine childhood immunisation programme in some areas in the mid-1950s and nationally from 1961.
As a result the disease had almost disappeared in children under 15 by the 1970s.
The highest incidence of tetanus during this period was in adults over 64. No cases of tetanus were reported in babies or children under 5.
The reason for most cases of tetanus now occurring in older people is that these people would not have been routinely immunised as children.
Tetanus also used to be more common in women, as many men were immunised before National Service.
In recent years the number of cases of tetanus seems to have levelled out - men and women are now equally at risk.
Tetanus in new-born babies is still a public health problem in many developing countries. It is usually caused by infection of the umbilical stump due to poor hygiene techniques.
In the UK, there have been no cases of tetanus in new-born babies for over 30 years.