Show us your scar?1

[hercules]

Why have I been told I need to go into my local council offices to show someone my BCG scar for a new teaching post?
I've been told if they cant see the scar I need to go in to hospital to have my BCG redone??

I had it done at school but they said my medical records are not enough.

What if I'm against having it done again? I cant see the scar.

No one did a check on my criminal records for my last teaching job....(not that i have anything!)

[SoupDragon]

Surely they can test for immunity??

[WideWebWitch]

No idea, how weird.

[hercules]

Would I not have been tested during my pregnancies?

Yes, it must be to test for my immunity? But why?
Why not use my records?

[pouchofdouglas]

Message withdrawn

[hercules]

[snafu]

I've been told the same, hercules. I've got to have my heaf test redone for midwifery course because I don't have bcg scar. Am very pissed off - I don't want a bloody scar!

[tarantula]

I reckon there's a guy in the local council office with a scar fetish and hes really really looking forward to your visit

[pouchofdouglas]

Message withdrawn

[SoupDragon]

But surely the fact that you have a scar doesn't mean you're immune??

[WideWebWitch]

exactly soupdragon, it seems v unscientific. My money's on someone with a scar fetish.

[snafu]

My arms are the only nice bit of me.

[Tissy]

TB is on the up and up, so I expect that someone has decided that everyone employed must be immune(all people working with patients in the NHS must have hep B immunisation).

If you've got the scar, you've definitely been immunised. It's much cheaper to look at the scar than do a blood/ skin test!

[MascaraOHara]

I had one and haven't got a scar! sounds a bit odd to me

[Tissy]

TB is on the up and up, so I expect that someone has decided that all staff must have evidence of immunisation. It's cheaper to look at a scar than do a blood or skin test. Probably easier than getting access to your GP records as well.

[Tissy]

sorry for the second post, thought my computer had lost the first one!

[snafu]

But I know I've been immunised (even remember standing in the queue outside the nurses office!) and my medical records show I have. So the fact that I don't have a scar shouldn't matter, should it?

[oliveoil]

If someone wanted proof I had a c-section would they not go off my notes either? Don't fancy getting that out.

Never heard of anything so daft.

And as for my episotomy .

[Tissy]

hang on snafu, the heaf test is not the same as the BCG. The heaf test is where a set of six(?) pins are pushed onto the skin of the forearm. They can then by the reaction to the test tell if you are immune or not. If not, you will need the BCG.

[hercules]

Perhaps I should pretend to confuse my episiotmy scar with my non existent bcg one!

[WideWebWitch]

eewwww!

[snafu]

But that's the thing, I don't get why I need the heaf test redone. I had one with the original bcg jab. It's the fact that I don't have a scar that seem to be bothering them (and hercules's employers!) and that just seems weird.

[Tissy]

but you will have had the heaf test before your BCG, and if you had been immune, they wouldn't have given you the BCG. They usually check the arm after the BCG to see how much inflammation there is, and usually the BCG causes enough inflammation to leave a recognisable scar. In some people the BCG doesn't work hence the need to check your immunity again.If you're going to be anywhere near tiny and premature babies, you really need to be proven to be immune.

[hercules]

I'm a teacher.

[SoupDragon]

I'd rather have the heaf test redone than my BCG. I remember vividly the disgusting nature of the "inflammation" afterwards.

[Tissy]

actually, I'm now beginning to doubt myself, I think I may have had a heaf test done a while after my BCG, but really can't remember,it was so long ago!