 [ Symptoms ] do i need a tetanus shot for a thermal burn  i burned my hand on a pan today while i was making cinnamon rolls my thumb was only on the pan for less than a second the burn is white but not bubbling or anything its just a white mark i ran it under cool water for like 30 minutes and added aloe it barely hurts im planning on getting a tetanus shot this year anyways but i need to know if this is very serious or i can just get my shot whenever [ Disease ] tetanus the disease is quite rare but the vaccine is 100 effective in preventing it if you have one every ten years minor burns like you described are not high risk for tetanus not knowing when you had your last one i cannot advise you specifically but having a tetanus shot now    if you are due for one anyway    would be a good idea i should have added quite rare in the united states unfortunately tetanus is much more common in other countries