Side Effects of TD Shot

Risks and side effects from vaccines have become more widely publicized lately, especially those for children needing a DTP or Tdap, which are bundled vaccines for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. For those adults and parents of children needing the vaccine the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the Td shot whose side effects are less risky than those vaccines containing pertussis. If you or a loved one needs to get a Td vaccine read about the side effects before doing so.

Common Side Effects

Some minor side effects for the Td vaccine are headache, swelling of lymph nodes, soreness at the vaccine site and a fever of less than 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit whose symptoms disappear within a few days, according to the Communicable Disease Control site.

Less Common and Severe Side Effects

The more serious side effects of the Td shot include excessive swelling at the site, neurological changes in nerves of the arm and hand, Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is a temporary paralysis, temporary serum sickness effecting various bodily organs, breathing difficulties, swelling of the face and throat with the airway being blocked and anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction that can be life threatening, according to the Communicable Disease Control website.

Who Should Not Receive the TD Vaccine

The Immunization Action Coalition says people who are ill should not receive the vaccine or postpone taking the injection. People with immune deficiencies may be advised to avoid the vaccine, as well as those who have had previous serious allergic reactions to one or several of the vaccine agents or an earlier dose of tetanus toxoid.