Skin ulcers may become contaminated or surgical wounds can be infected during surgery on the bowel. The vaccine's protective effect lasts for ten years. I supervised the care of a 69 year old man who was a gardener and had a minor uncared for wound. Despite expert care from anesthesiologists to control his breathing and convulsions, we lost him to a complicating pneumonia. Gardeners and farmers particularly should have tetanus shots.
Dirt often contains tetanus bacilli and the use of manure as a fertilizer can add to the danger.
Influenza can cause 50,000 excess deaths yearly. Many volunteers and professionals in hospitals and other institutions come from the elderly age group. It is derived from non-infectious particles prepared in yeast cells and cannnot cause the disease. A fully protective course is three intramuscular injections. Chronic active hepatitis produces fatigue, persistent or recurring jaundice, a generalized ill feeling, lack of appetite and a low grade fever and is an illness you certainly want to avoid.