DOH asks fireworks victims: Get anti-tetanus shots

MANILA, Philippines - Persons who suffered burns or injuries from fireworks during the New Year revelry should get anti-tetanus shots before the end of the month, a Department of Health (DOH) official said Saturday.

According to DOH Assistant Secretary Dr. Eric Tayag, even minor wounds should not be ignored because they could still be infected.

“Those who were hurt from fireworks last Jan. 1 can still have anti-tetanus shots until the end of the month if their wounds were unattended,” he said.

Tayag reiterated that it is much cheaper to be vaccinated against tetanus than be treated for infection. He said undergoing treatment for tetanus infection could cost P5,000 for mild complications and up to P30,000 for serious cases. The amount does not include the lost productivity of the patients and the persons who take care of them in the hospital.

Two shots of toxoid and anti-tetanus serum, on the other hand, cost around P300 in a government hospital or P2,000 in a private hospital, he said.

From the recent Yuletide revelry, the DOH recorded one tetanus case – a 27-year-old man who worked in a firecracker factory in Bulacan.  He sustained a small wound in his right thumb when he lit a kwitis last Dec. 22.

DOH records showed that from the morning of Dec. 21 to the morning of Jan. 26, a total of 931 injuries were reported to the agency by 50 sentinel hospitals across the country.

Of this figure, 904 were due to firecrackers, 25 from stray bullets and two due to fireworks ingestion.