Which vaccine is indicated for a patient with severe burns?

• A. Tetanus vaccine
• B. Influenza vaccine
• C. Pneumococcal vaccine
• D. Meningococcal vaccine

Answer: (A)

In burns, protecting against tetanus is the priority because a severe burn disrupts the skin barrier and creates a contaminated wound environment where Clostridium tetani can thrive. Tetanus immunization provides active, long-lasting protection, and in patients with uncertain or incomplete vaccination history, clinicians may also administer tetanus immunoglobulin for immediate passive protection while the vaccine series is started or completed. The other vaccines listed—influenza, pneumococcal, and meningococcal—are important in their own contexts but do not address the acute wound-related risk posed by a burn.