BCG

[Clara Hebblethwaite]

Hi all. Advice needed! We live in Peckham with our 4 month son and today is the day for his BCG. I just spoke to my sis who said that she wished she hadn't got her daughter's jab done when she lived in Brixton. What do you think?

[Monkey]

Did she say why? My daughter had her BCG done last year and has been absolutely fine with it.

[hazelnunhead]

If you are worried in any way about the jab then take the time to speak to your nurse / or doctor. For me the decision around giving or not giving my daughter her jabs was a really difficult one, but I found our nurse and doctor very open to speaking about it.

Aks you sister to clarify for you? I am not sure if she means that she wished she hadnt got the jab; or at a specific clinic?

[Saffron]

We didn't do the BCG for several reasons. We weren't exposed to any high-risk groups for tuberculosis with our daughter. And for me personally, I felt the efficacy of the vaccine (60-80%) was low compared to the risk of severe infection at the site of injection requiring antibiotics. Also, the BCG is not effective against latent TB, and is not considered highly efficacious in adults. It does protect against miliary TB/TB menigitis which is a neonatal health issue (a reason it's now only offered to the under 1s on the NHS), but we weren't at risk of this. You can find some basic and very good info on wiki.

[VanessaPMR]

Hello All,

I am no medical expert, alas, but was told that my daughter should have the BCG injection as being a Londoner she was at increased risk of catching TB. Also, two of my family members (an uncle and a grandparent) died from TB, and one aunt and uncle have borne the debilitating effects of having been ill with TB with them throughout their lives.

I guess my family history made it a no brainer for me, but here are some hyperlinks which detail the incidence of TB as well as general info on it.

every best

V

http://thorax.bmj.com/content/62/2/162.full

http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/12December/Pages/tb-tuberculosis-cases-rise-london-uk.aspx

[Saffron]

Being a Londoner does not necessarily put you in a high-risk group. Not all of London is high-risk. However, there are specific areas and populations w/in London that are at an increased risk of exposure. Also, having had the BCG immunisation in infancy does not necessarily mean that you carry the immmunity into adulthood. Depending mostly on your genetic background, you can carry 15-90% immunity from the BCG. (Also depending on genetics, some populations will have more natural resistance or less to TB.)

So even if you (or your child) had the BCG immunisation, you can still get TB as an adult. If you develop TB symptoms after being exposed to a high-risk population, you should always be tested for TB. Early treatment is crucial.

That being said, I totally agree that there is a very personal element to the decision to give the BCG or not. It's not just a straightforward choice for everyone. VanessaPMR, I think anyone with your history would absolutely make the same choice. When making this decision, parents need to know that facts, weigh them up, and make whatever decision let's them sleep best at night. Like so many things with raising children, there isn't really a right or wrong answer. xx

[ClareC]

The BCG is only given as standard in certain areas, London being pretty much it. As a result of the comprehensive BCG vaccination programme, TB was pretty much irradicated in this country. There has however been a significant increase of the disease due to immigration (from countries that do not have a BCG vaccination programme).

It is true that you are only likely to catch the disease if you are in regular contact with high risk individuals.

I originally decided not to have my daughter vaccinated as I knew we were low risk, however, I reconsidered.

My reasons were that although currently she had no contact with anyone high risk, in the future, when she went to nursery/school etc she may well be in regular contact with another pupil / member of staff that was high risk.

Its also handy to have been vaccinated in order to travel to certain countries, Australia being one I believe.

Additionally the whole herd argument applies and ultimately the vaccination is not deemed at all risky or

controversial. My daughter had the vaccination and doesnt even have a mark. My son has a small red mark, neither had any ill effect.

[Clara Hebblethwaite]

Really interesting. Thanks so much all. There are so many good arguments on both sides. I found it hard to decide but in the end went for it. He took it well bless him. I think after the set of 3 compulsory jabs I was really loathed to put him through more- especially if there was an option not to. My sister was anti it as she now lives on the coast and noone has had it done there. Plus she said the mark it has left on her daughter's arm isn't great. But for us bringing them up here it will mean we might well be exposed. Def a personal choice but glad we're covered- and that its over!

[hellosailor]

Not meaning to split hairs but the other jabs aren't actually compulsory, it's always your decision what vaccinations your child has, as it should be.

[minder]

I would have thought any vaccine that protects against TB in your children would be a good thing. Even if afterwards the injection site does require antibiotics.

[candj]

All three of mine have had it with no problems. My eldest had it when she was 18 months and it took the longest to heal (oozing scab for about 9 months), but the rest had it when they were newborns and had no side effects and none had to be on antibiotics. We travel a lot to 'tb' areas (Asia) so had no reservations in getting it for them.

Good luck with your decision.

[Saffron]

minder Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I would have thought any vaccine that protects

> against TB in your children would be a good thing.

> Even if afterwards the injection site does

> require antibiotics.

This issue of giving systemic antibiotics to infants is itself a contentious one, for the damage they can do to intestinal fauna, the long term outcome of which is not entirely known. xx

[Saffron]

ClareC Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The BCG is only given as standard in certain

> areas, London being pretty much it. As a result of

> the comprehensive BCG vaccination programme, TB

> was pretty much irradicated in this country.

That's not 100% the case. Comprehensive BCG is not completely responsibly for the reduction of TB in Britain. The drop in TB was in very great part due to an extensive and targeted TB program including better identification of TB suffers, better treatment, and in very large part a thorough effort to improve poor living standards and conditions (a major means of transmission) among high-risk populations.

In addition, although there is a tendency for increased rates of TB in immigrant populations in Britain, a significant portion of these immigrants contracted it after moving here, i.e. they did not bring the disease with them. The reason immigrant populations such as these are at risk is overwhelming due to poor living conditions. Indeed the BCG alone is not fantastically effective at controlling the incidence of new TB cases, with about 12,000 immunisations needed to prevent just one new case of TB. Don't get me wrong, the BCG is not a bad thing. We didn't give it to Little Saff for the reasons I stated in my previous posting, but I'm not against the BCG in general. However, I do think that people should really know and understand its value and its limitations when actively making the choice for or against immunising their child.

[Strawbs]

My son is having this jab tomorrow.. Will he feel unwell / unsettled afterwards? Anything I can do to make it easier on him? Thanks!! X

[Clara Hebblethwaite]

I gave my boy his Calpol 10mins before the jab and then some milk immediately after. Hope it goes well!

[crystal7]

My 6 wk old hardly squeaked! Fed him afterwards. No ill effects. Think it's the least painful of the jabs done in the 1st yr?

[Strawbs]

Thanks both!!

[Moos]

No, no ill effects but a couple of months afterwards he'll get a big lump full of pus that will burst a few times and then heal over in a few weeks. Don't know why the reaction takes so long to come, s'funny.

[Ruth_Baldock]

Moos, thats what happened to Lex. I was with her in the bath, lifted her up from my lap to nuzzle her (as you do with chubby babies) and she lifted her little arm up- scar burst, pus in my face. Ah, parenthood- so beauteous...

[Strawbs]

Well he screamed the house down!! Went crimson he was screaming so much and very grizzly all day but seems to be back to normal now thank goodness.. Think he is a little sensitive as went with a friend and her daughter slept through it!! X

[sophiechristophy]

I have been reading a useful book on vaccinations, which parents might find useful:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Doctor-About-Childrens-Vaccinations/dp/0446555711/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324244126&sr=8-1-spell