Study: Immune Thrombocytopenia after Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine
- Simian Practicalist
- 7 days ago
- 2 min read
A paper by M. Rendon-Beltran et al titled “A Potential Case of Tetanus-Diphtheria Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia” published on 16 January 2026 reported the incident.
Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune hematologic disorder characterized by an autoantibody-mediated thrombocyte destruction, wherein antibodies target platelet antigens. Although ITP patients develop thrombocytopenia (<100,000 platelets/mm3 for ITP diagnosis), the clinical spectrum ranges from asymptomatic to moderate or life-threatening hemorrhage resulting from the depletion of platelets, which are essential for clotting.
Admittedly, cases of ITP linked to Tetanus-Diphtheria (Td) vaccines are rare, with only two adult cases reported. This third case involved a 48-year-old woman who received a Td booster after an accident that got her right hand stuck in a door.
On day 2, the patient exhibited palatal and tongue bleeding, as well as melena. Moreover, a peripheral blood smear was performed, observing a low percentage of platelets along with the absence of blasts.
On day 3, her platelet count was merely 6,000/mm3. The normal range is 150,000 to 450,000/mm3. After treatment, which included a platelet transfusion, she was discharged on day 8.
However, she was re-admitted 12 days later “due to the presence of blood in stool and persistent petechiae on the extremities”. Her platelet count then was merely 17,000/mm3. The second admission lasted 4 days and involved another platelet transfusion.
The patient was apparently healthy. Other than a history of uterine fibroids, she has no allergies, hypertension or diabetes, and is a non-drinker and non-smoker.
Td vaccines have been around for a long time and generally seem to be safe. However, the specs of these vaccines have changed over the years and although ITP is rare after a Td shot, it seems one cannot trust anything nowadays, not even what is meant to be common and routine.
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