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BCG (TB) Vaccine, did you?

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2340

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 06:02

The BCG is given to babies here as soon as they are born. Kids of school age also need to have it before going to school. Personally I believe the vaccination is crucial here and would not allow my kids to be here if they did not have it. It's not compulsory to have it at birth in the UAE and it's not required for school. My son was born in Aus and has not had the BCG...dr's both in Aus and Dubai advised it's not necessary as it's one of the least effective vaccines out there. My middle child was given the vacc at birth in Dubai because the I believed the hospital staff that it was compulsory. :( My youngest was born at Al Wasl and the paed's were absolutely respectful of my choice not to have it for her. It was never an issue for visas or school.

edna.welthorpe36638

516

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 00:24

TB vaccine should only be done once in a lifetime. The vaccine is valid for 10 years only.It is a difficult call. It really depends how much you are potentially exposed to the disease. TB is actually quite difficult to catch, unless you are in close and prolonged contact with someone who has an infectious strain (not everybody who has TB is infectious to others). As you say, the BCG vaccine is only 75% effective at best, and in some studies - such as one in the USA in the 1960s - it proved to be just 14% effective. It's worth bearing in mind that the reason BCG is given to newborns is more to do with its effectiveness against tuberculous meningitis in young children (which it gives good protection against) than its effectiveness against "normal" TB.

1336

Posts

EW OLDHAND

Latest post on 28 November 2011 - 00:04

My company recommends we have it (contact with lots of nationalities) but as my father was given it when he was 12 and reacted very badly, and I am older than 21, I decided not to get it. They might insist on it soon for people in my job, but until they do I will not take it. Aside from the scarring issue- whcih I'm told is worse as you age- I just know too many people who either reacted or still had problems even with the vaccine!!

321

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 27 November 2011 - 04:45

thank you for your views, we have decided against it as it really seems ineffective also spoken to a couple of health care professionals, they were of the same opinion as well.

81

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 24 November 2011 - 00:12

I had it done when I was born (HK) and they used to do it at School age 13 in the UK as standard if required after a Mantoux Test. http://www.gpnotebook.co.uk/simplepage.cfm?ID=1335492624. I understand that they stopped giving it to those of school age in some/most areas due a very low rate of TB in the UK - but in the recent years TB has been on the increase, so some areas are reintroducing it! My son had it here straight after birth. IMHO it was a no brainer! but that is just my opinion! http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/tuberculosis.htm

115

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 20:14

My son was born in Paris in 2003 and had the vaccine as it was mandatory at that time in France (which is no longer the case) My daughter was born in London in 2006 and didn't get it as it was not mandatory. When we came back in France in 2008, she went to the nursery 3 times a week and it was still not mandatory. But now that we live in the ME, I keep wondering if she should have it. I also talked to 2 different pediatricians here and they have opposite opinion...so I am still confused about BCG, all the more as my daughter had a very bad reaction to one vaccine when she was 2 - we had to go to the hospital...FYI she goes to school here so it is not mandatory in the UAE.

Princess_I45169

1953

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 19:20

I had the BCG when i was about 8. When i was working in saudi i was tested each year for exposure to TB and the last year i was there my test was positive for exposure (not TB) and i ended up taking 3 months of anti TB meds. Am not convinced that the TB vaccine is effective; and when in saudi they didn't even acknowledge that i had previously had it.

kiwispiers15400

2782

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 19:19

you and your husband have both contracted Tb already, so clearly you know there is a risk of your baby catching it. even if the vaccine isn't 100 % effective against all strains a reduced risk is better than no risk. we opted to have it done, it is more effective the earlier it is done.

2392

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 19:16

I have just had my baby in the UK and here they are quite pushy about the TB vaccine, however after doing some research i realised its not effective and to prove that more both me and DH ended up getting TB on one of our travels despite being vaccinated as babies. Is it routinely done in Dubai or your home country? Please share your views as i cant find much info on the net My son got it at birth in Bahrain. My daughter was born in Canada and didn't get it. I will not vaccinate her.

4747

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 19:12

I'm with you TimTam, neither of my children have been vaccinated for Tb, although all other vaccs are up to date. After discussions with doctors in Oz, I decided not to, mainly because it does not give cover for all strains anyway. We have lived in the ME before and it was never a problem. I will see how we go with getting our visas here! its not necessary to have the tb vaccine, but in the past it was only the worker that required an xray for tb, now its all adults that have to do it, and you have problems if they find any tb they will treat you and then send you home

154

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 19:10

I'm with you TimTam, neither of my children have been vaccinated for Tb, although all other vaccs are up to date. After discussions with doctors in Oz, I decided not to, mainly because it does not give cover for all strains anyway. We have lived in the ME before and it was never a problem. I will see how we go with getting our visas here!

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 18:20

Our daughter was given the TB vaccine at birth (ish) in Switzerland because the paediatrician said that as she came from Greece and would be visiting her home country, she needed to be protected from TB.

756

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 18:18

It isn't compulsary for school, both my children have been in school here for 6 years and haven't had the vaccine. I asked several doctors here and overseas and have been advised that the vaccine won't cover all strains of TB and it is unlikely the the vaccine will protect you against current strains. It's not a nice vaccine and your arm comes up in like a boil and I really didn' want to put my children through that unnecessarily. I know many will shoot me down and say that getting TB is worse but that's the choice I made based on discussions with several doctors.

5400

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 18:17

TB vaccine should only be done once in a lifetime. The greater risk of contracting the disease is between the ages of 11 and 21 (as told to me by a British GP). The vaccine is valid for 10 years only.It is a difficult call. It really depends how much you are potentially exposed to the disease. But surely, there are BCG "boosters", for if you are in danger of coming into contact with TB 10 years after you were first vaccinated? With the spread of HIV, TB is far more prevalent than it used to be in the Western world, in any case, I thought?

Saharagypsyrose

484

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 17:49

I guess in this world there are all kinds of people, so I am glad they had a strict policy to further testings if positive (I think they only cared whether it was positive or negative) and not just take our words for it. :-D I didn't have any records of BCG since it was carried out at school where each kid just got a jab and the scar to prove it later :-) Cheers!

927

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 17:37

It should not be a problem having a reaction to PPD test if you have been vaccinated as you would be expected to have one. The way it is interpreted is the key - there are even tools and guides for clinical staff who evaluate them so that they can interpret the reacton. Basically they measure the size of the swelling. In general it should be less than 15mm if you have been vaccinated - anything above that needs more investigation. (there are other varibables for babies health care workers etc but in gerneal it is 15mm) All health care workers who adminster and interpret the test know this - so it should not cause any problem that you have a reaction to PPD - you are expected to have one. You are right in that one would expect a positive test reaction if had BCG previously. I believe mine was around 5-6 mm, but the point is that they will not just take your word that you had BCG vaccine without investigating further. I understand that they classified the results based on 5, 10 and 15mm increments and 5mm could be someone with a recent contact of TB. I guess one can never be too careful especially in the US where TB is not prevalent. Why would they not believe a rationale adult? I suppose that is why keeping vaccination records is important though anyone who has theirs from more than 20 years ago is a hero is my eyes;) BCG vaccines used to leave a very typical scar on the arm - they always used to check that for final confirmation but not everyone gets them. ETA too many typos today - no glasses with me! <em>edited by Genie on 23/11/2011</em>

Saharagypsyrose

484

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 17:28

It should not be a problem having a reaction to PPD test if you have been vaccinated as you would be expected to have one. The way it is interpreted is the key - there are even tools and guides for clinical staff who evaluate them so that they can interpret the reacton. Basically they measure the size of the swelling. In general it should be less than 15mm if you have been vaccinated - anything above that needs more investigation. (there are other varibables for babies health care workers etc but in gerneal it is 15mm) All health care workers who adminster and interpret the test know this - so it should not cause any problem that you have a reaction to PPD - you are expected to have one. You are right in that one would expect a positive test reaction if had BCG previously. I believe mine was around 5-6 mm, but the point is that they will not just take your word that you had BCG vaccine without investigating further. I understand that they classified the results based on 5, 10 and 15mm increments and 5mm could be someone with a recent contact of TB. I guess one can never be too careful especially in the US where TB is not prevalent.

927

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 17:07

It should not be a problem having a reaction to PPD test if you have been vaccinated as you would be expected to have one. The way it is interpreted is the key - there are even tools and guides for clinical staff who evaluate them so that they can interpret the reacton. Basically they measure the size of the swelling. In general it should be less than 15mm if you have been vaccinated - anything above that needs more investigation. (there are other varibables for babies health care workers etc but in gerneal it is 15mm) All health care workers who adminster and interpret the test know this - so it should not cause any problem that you have a reaction to PPD - you are expected to have one.

Saharagypsyrose

484

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 16:55

I had the vaccination done eons ago when I was around 9 or 10. More than 20 years later when I had to do a physical exam for some government stuff, they had to screen for TB and used the PPD test. Since I had BCG, the test was positive, so had to go for further testings to ensure that I did not have active TB.

104

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 16:41

I had both my boys vaccinated about 3 years ago here in Dubai at their doctor's insistence. The issue I found out after is that when returning to our home country, Canada, because the TB strain stays in their body, if they go for a TB test it would be hard to determine if it was a vaccine or the actual disease. I have the record to say they were immunized and they both have bumps to prove it (my older son has quite a large bump still at the injection site and my other son has a scar). Hope it's not a problem when we do return.

4747

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 16:14

TB vaccine should only be done once in a lifetime. The greater risk of contracting the disease is between the ages of 11 and 21 (as told to me by a British GP). The vaccine is valid for 10 years only.It is a difficult call. It really depends how much you are potentially exposed to the disease. thats why in the uk they were usually given the tb vaccine at age 13 ish.

542

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 16:06

TB vaccine should only be done once in a lifetime. The greater risk of contracting the disease is between the ages of 11 and 21 (as told to me by a British GP). The vaccine is valid for 10 years only.It is a difficult call. It really depends how much you are potentially exposed to the disease.

Cherry ripe49050

970

Posts

EW GURU

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 16:05

Our children had it as routine for babies in hong kong but when a case broke out at preschool and screening done they showed up as not immune and had to have it again. No reactions or problems.

4747

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 16:03

you should get it done, as you come into contact with a lot of different nationalities, the embassy used to insist that all their workers had the jab before coming to work here. babies born here are given it at birth its not done routinely in all areas of the uk now you sometimes have to insist on it.

2937

Posts

EW EXPERT

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 15:44

I spoke to a lady at home - UK - who had it for both of her children just after birth. She said it was standard in her area, I think somewhere up north.

5499

Posts

EW MASTER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 15:42

I got my kids done before moving to the Middle East to minimise the risk of them being affected, especially as they would be potentially coming into contact with people with TB.

25

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 15:37

The BCG is given to babies here as soon as they are born. Kids of school age also need to have it before going to school. Personally I believe the vaccination is crucial here and would not allow my kids to be here if they did not have it.

321

Posts

EW EXPLORER

Latest post on 23 November 2011 - 15:25

I have just had my baby in the UK and here they are quite pushy about the TB vaccine, however after doing some research i realised its not effective and to prove that more both me and DH ended up getting TB on one of our travels despite being vaccinated as babies. Is it routinely done in Dubai or your home country? Please share your views as i cant find much info on the net

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