Tuberculosis-  Vaccination and Screening.

In 2005, the schools vaccination programme offering BCG (TB)  for all school children was stopped and a targeted-approach was implemented.

In the present system only those children that come under the following categories are allowed to be considered for their BCG vaccination under the NHS:

  1. History of TB in the family
  2. Contact with a person with known TB
  3. Has spent more than 1 month in a high risk country.
  4. Have a parent or grandparent who come from a high risk country
  5. Likely to travel to a high risk country for an extended period of time ( >1 month) or repeatedly due to work or family connections.

This leaves many of our children unvaccinated .This concerns me in view of the following facts:

  • New cases of TB are on the increase in this country.
    • 2003 ------   6970
    • 2004 ------   7321
    • 2005 ------   8113
    • 2006 ------   8171
  • London has the highest number of new cases(43%). In fact, London has a higher rate of TB than China. The regions with the highest rate are the North west, East Midlands and the East of England.
  • Although Derbyshire is classed as a 'low incident' region, children living in these regions are not forced to stay living there. 'Gap' years and foreign travel are ever-increasing options for our children.
  • TB is endemic throughout the world, Today an estimated one third of the world's population are infected, Nine million people a year develop the active disease and nearly two million die - one TB death every 20 seconds, ( World health organisation)
  • TB is always debilitating, if not fatal.  If 'cured' it often leaves scarring of lungs, bones or joints.
  • Treatment of TB consists of a long (6 months) course of multiple antibiotics. Many of which have side effects.
  • Many people who start treatment for TB do not finish the course and this may lead to partially treated cases and resistance to the antibiotics that we do have on offer.

Other interesting sites  www.hpa.org.uk    www.tbalert.org    

No BCG(TB) vaccination is given without a Mantoux test ( screening test for prior exposure) so you can be sure that only children and adults (<35yrs old)  who are unprotected and at risk of getting TB are innoculated.

TB protection is not something we should be complacent about. Don't delay, make an appointment today.

Call Derbyshire Medical Ltd on 01246-590530.