The most well-known symptom of tetanus is stiffness of the jaw, known as lockjaw. There are 50 to 60 cases of tetanus reported each year in the United States, most of them involving people 50 or older. If an adult has never been immunized against tetanus, or diphtheria, a primary series of three injections is required. All adults need a booster shot every 10 years. Birth date is a good guide for whether adults need to worry about these shots, which are often given in combination.
Many adults have natural immunity to the diseases.
A dose of measles vaccine is recommended for adults born after 1956. The mumps vaccine is also recommended for adults born after 1956 unless they have documentation of being vaccinated. People born before then are likely to have had the disease. The CDC recommends rubella vaccination for adults unless proof of immunity is available, either from a documented rubella vaccination or a laboratory test showing that a person has antibodies to the virus. Doctors are particularly concerned that women of childbearing age have protection against rubella because the virus can cause serious birth defects if a pregnant woman becomes infected.