Find That
Special Gift!
The ValleyCare Gift Shop in the
Pleasanton hospital lobby o ers a
unique shopping experience with
a wide selection of distinctive and
trendy gifts. Here you can nd
special items from new baby gifts
to jewelry and accessories, as well
as home and holiday decor.
The Gift Shop is open to the
public, and by shopping here you
are supporting ValleyCare Health
System.
HOURS
w
Tuesday to Friday,
9 am to 4 pm
w
Saturday and Sunday,
11 am to 3 pm
JOIN THE AUXILIARY!
The Gift Shop is sta ed by
ValleyCare Auxiliary volunteers. If
you would like to join this team of
dedicated women and men, please
visit
valleycare.com/auxiliary
or call the Auxiliary
Information line at
925-734-3368
.
forWomen
Simply Health
SimplyHealth forWomen
and
BeginningsandBeyond
are published
byValleyCare Health System.The information is intended to
educate women about subjects pertinent to their health, not
as a substitute for consultation with a personal physician.
To stop receiving this free publication, please email
marketing@valleycare.com.
© 2014
CMM30222
Scott Gregerson, Esq.
Interim CEO
William Phillips, MD
Chief of Obstetrics/
Gynecology
1111 E. Stanley Blvd.
Livermore, CA 94550
Nonpro t Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
ValleyCare
Health System
Like us on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.
Facebook “f”Logo
CMYK / .ai
W
hat do splinters, animal
scratches and burns that break
the skin have in common?
Besides causing pain, they put
people at risk of being infected with
tetanus.
is dangerous disease is caused by
bacteria found in soil almost everywhere.
And it can enter the body through injuries
as small as a pinprick.
Sometimes called lockjaw because it
causes jaw muscles to seize up, tetanus
can require weeks of hospitalization. In
about 1 of every 10 cases, it’s fatal. But
protecting yourself from tetanus is easy:
Update your vaccination.
Kids start building immunity to
tetanus at 2 months old, when they
typically get the rst in a series of
DTaP shots that also protect against
diphtheria and pertussis (whooping
cough). As preteens, they get a Tdap
booster—a full dose of the tetanus
vaccine with lower doses of the
diphtheria and pertussis vaccines.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Immunity to tetanus decreases over time.
at’s why all adults need booster shots.
If you are:
An adult under 65:
Get a one-time
Tdap if you’ve never had one.
An adult of any age:
Get a booster
called Td at least every 10 years.
A pregnant woman:
Ask your doctor
about getting a Td booster—or a Tdap
if you’ve never had one—after your 20th
week of pregnancy. It can help protect
your baby from whooping cough, which is
especially dangerous for newborns.
Check your immunization records, and
get a tetanus booster shot if it’s time. And if
you ever get a deep, dirty wound, rinse it in
water only and see a doctor immediately.
Sources: American College of Emergency Physicians; Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention; Immunization Action Coalition
DoYou Need a
Tetanus Shot?
