Experience with tetanus?

Scraped my leg on some rusty metal, how long to I have to get the shot? Is it a massive needle? Recovery? 

You can just go to a pharmacy and ask for a Tdap. (Dtap is the child version). Just a 1 inch needle for men up to 260 pounds. Expect some soreness for 1-2 days after. The more you move the arm, the less soreness you will have so better to get in dominant arm. I'm a nurse and gave Tdap injections for many years.

Best to get as soon as possible. If your last tetanus shot was less than 5 years ago and you got the full series as a child, you are considered protected. If you are unsure, just get it. 

One thought...pharmacies are very busy right now giving flu and covid vaccines so you may want to call ahead or schedule online before going. 

What did your doctor say?

I don’t have a PCP, and I’m definitely past the five year date. I’ll go to the pharmacy. Thanks guys.

You should still get the vaccine if it's been a while, but you probably don't have much to worry about. Rusty metal itself isn't a particular concern. The spores can be anywhere in the environment. Rusty metal is associated with tetanus due to nails that puncture deep into flesh. Deep wounds of any kind are much more likely to cause an infection, since the spores really like the warm and moist environment for breeding the bacteria. A superficial scrape can result in infection, but it's considerably less likely.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tetanus: For Clinicians. August 29, 2022. Accessed October 3, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/clinicians.html.. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tetanus: Surveillance. March 7, 2023. Accessed October 3, 2023, from https://www.cdc.gov/tetanus/surveillance.html..