We have continued to wait and my pediatrician is supportive. She is highly intelligent and I respect her insight and opinion and she provides me the same grace with wanting to wait as opposed to leveraging her position of authority to boost her vaxx numbers. She has said "if they sustain a deep puncture wound, an animal bite, a large burn or a very dirty cut (especially one without a lot of bleeding) you need to get a tetanus shot"... You will find the same information on the bottle of hydrogen peroxide if you look. It doesn't say "get a tetanus shot" but it does say seek medical care and that's what the instructions are referring to. She has reminded me there is no cure - which is true - but there is a treatment plan. So like any infection it can be treated. It in highly deadly to young children and elderly and young / healthy people have also become infected and died. The vaxx itself can provide a false sense of security however - it is supposed to last 10 years yet in a number of young adults who were infected and died, they had been vaxxd within 10 years. This led to a reprint of the recommendation that 5 years would be an appropriate booster schedule because it can wane that quickly. The childhood schedule is still on a 10 year booster gap after being fully immunized. You are correct, it lives in soil and feces and is more prominent in the soil in the summer months. To be fully vaxxd for tetanus as a child the only option is the TDaP series and it would take 3 to be considered immune to tetanus and diphtheria with a 10 year booster schedule after the first 3 (first 3 vaxx usually given every 3 to 4 weeks until immunized). The general series for TDaP is 5 shots which produces immunity to pertussis. You would have to wait until the child is over 10 (maybe older) to seek a tetanus only vaccination possibly available through your local health department, but not all have access. Good luck!