BCG vaccine

flownosaj

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Probably none of the US based CPF'rs have recieved or even heard of the BCG vaccine, but are there any European members on the board that are familiar with BCG?

I have a question or two, so if you work in the medical community or are knowledgable about the BCG, please PM me.

Thanks,
Jason
 

PhotonBoy

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I'm pretty sure that I was given the BCG vaccine (in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) around 1963 or so, while I was in high school. If memory serves, it was administered on a sugar cube. I had a history teacher who strenuously objected to it on the grounds that it made you test positively for TB for the rest of your life, requiring needless follow-up X-rays. As I recall, this never happened, nor did I ever suffer any side effects.

http://www.shb.ie/content1517134851_1.cfm
 

flownosaj

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Thanks for the link, Photonboy and email sent Whistler /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif


I'm trying to find out if the BCG vaccine would cause a "positive" Mantoux skin test. That's the one where they inject 1-1.5 ml of a clear solution under your skin on the underside of your forearm. A positive test would leave a raised welt for a number of days and indicate exposure to TB.

I currently recieve a Mantoux test every year as is hospital policy, and I test negative as I've not been exposed to TB and hence no immunity. If I test positive after recieving BCG I'll have a lot of questions to answer and I'll have to get a yearly chest x-ray instead. I'd rather not have the radiation, but I'd like to be protected against TB in case of a possible exposure.

Is there any difference between the injection or the series of oral tablets to be taken over one week's time?

Thanks guys,
Jason
 

Spango

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[ QUOTE ]
Ross said:
I had the vaccine (left a lovely scar on my upper left arm) but I dont know alot about it.

Ross

[/ QUOTE ]

You're absolutely right! It left a scar on me too! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 

binky

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flownosaj, may I ask a question about this that comes from a medical ignoramus?

Q: I and every U.S.'er I know has that characteristic scar on the upper left arm, and we were told it's to prevent TB. Is that something other than the BCG vaccine you're saying that none of us in the U.S. would have gotten?
(I'm about 40 yrs old if that has anything to do with its having been administered to me.)

Well, okay, here's another Q:
I believe my kiddies will be getting a TB vaccine. Won't they be getting that BCG thing too?
 

Empath

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You may be thinking of the smallpox shot, Binky. It often left a scar. I'm not aware of TB shots being given routinely in the U.S. Of course my being unaware of it, means nothing.... I just thought I'd mention it.
 

flownosaj

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If you're in the US and have a scar from a vaccine injection, it most likely is from a smallpox injection or it could be anthrax if you were in the military. Most people over 30 would have the scar from smallpox since they stopped mandating it in the 70's.
As to the scar itself, that's how you know it "took" /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

The BCG vaccine has not really been used in the US. BCG is for tuberculosis (or TB) and since TB risk is so low in the US, the CDC feels it would do more harm than good.

The normal schedule of immunizations has Hepatitis B at birth, 2 months and 12 months. Series of Dipthptheria tetanus and pertussis (DTaP) Hib (haemophillus influenzae), pnuemococcal (PVC) and Polio, between 2 months and 2 years.
Measles mumps & rubella, varicella for chickenpox and are given after 1 year.
Often Hep A and the rest of the formentioned series after year 2.
Influenza is yearly.

Depending on the age of your kiddies, they could be getting a booster or starting a whole new series, but they would not be getting BCG .

-Jason
 

Tombeis

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I received a smallpox vaccination before I entered the first grade. You had to have it then in order to go to school. (1941) I had a smallpox booster in 1959 before going to Mexico. Both left round scars on my upper left arm.

Never had a shot for TB. Never tested positive. Including a chest X-Ray last year that was negative.

Like Empath, I never heard of TB shot being given routinely, and I have been around awhile.
 

mattheww50

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BCG is used for two purposes. It use to ramp up the immune system in some cancer therapies. It does confer some level of immunity to TB. That is a double edged sword, and depending upon what part of the world you are in, determines which side of the sword you want to be on.

In the USA, the emphasis is on detection, since TB is a relatively unusual infection. If you immunize, people who are immunized have TB antibodies, and that makes it very hard to tell the difference between someone with an infection and someone who is immunized. Hence immunization makes it more difficult to track infections, and is unattractive from a public health view.

There is a way around the trap, but it hadn't been invented yet when BCG came into view.

In countries where TB is a major public health problem, the advantage of widespread immunity outweighs the advantage of detection. Hence immunization is attractive. The immunization actually quite common in parts of South Asia, and many 3rd world countries.

The way around the trap is to use a genetically engineered immunization, as has now been done with both Hep A and Hep B. The immunization produces an antibody to one of the Hep surface antigens (There are several). The serum tests for active infections test for a different surface antigen. I.E. if you have been immunized for Hep B, you will not test positive for Hep B antibodies, because they are careful not to test for the antibody produced by the vaccine.

If you are working from weakened strain, or a dead organism vaccine, you get antibodies for all of the surface antigens.
 

flownosaj

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Thanks for the info guys... I guess I'll hold off on getting vaccinated unless I wind up heading to TB infested areas or someone "tells" me to.

More problems than it's worth...


-Jason
 

d_clark

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[ QUOTE ]
flownosaj said:
If you're in the US and have a scar from a vaccine injection, it most likely is from a smallpox injection or it could be anthrax if you were in the military....

-Jason

[/ QUOTE ]
Got mobilized in March, got smallpox and anthrax (4 shots several weeks apart, alternating arms) The smallpox didn't react much, (had it when I was a kid) the anthrax left no marks.
 
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