Did you have the BCG vaccine?

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So there's been lots of media outlets mentioning the weak link between countries that have the BCG vaccine still on their schedule and low incidence/fatality of COVID, with countries that never had BCG (Italy/US) on their schedule having high incidence and fatality. I'm not really debating that, obviously much more research is needed. The general theory being the BCG jab boosts your overall immunity, or provides a blueprint for combatting other unrelated pathogens, particularly just after its given (which they are trialling on healthcare workers in Australia).

The question was posed to Michael Mosely on Twitter and he said well everyone in UK has had BCG and we have high incidence/fatality so that link can't be right. But I wonder how many have not had it here, most under 30s won't have had it unless considered at risk, but the rest of us between 30-70 should have had it right?

Except lots of people commented on Twitter that their council cancelled BCG vaccines in the 80s, their parents didn't consent, or they were off school that day. I'm in my 30s (northwest england) and had it, and I think most of my schoolmates did, apart from a handful that were either immune (Mantoux test) or scared of needles. Did you have it, or didn't and why?

I had it, I'm 55. My DC are between 22 and 26, they didn't have it when we lived in the UK, but when we moved to Ireland in 2000 when the DC were little we were advised that they should get it done, so we did.

I had it at secondary. I’m 40, i remember my arm went really numb and heavy for the rest of the day. I remember the ‘hardest’ girl in our year freaking out and almost wetting herself in fear.

I'm i'm mid 30s and had it in my teens. My baby had it in the hospital last year at a couple of days old. Apparently nowadays it's only done in big cities like London or if you're from an at risk community.

My Nan had TB 10 years ago in Sussex so it’s not eradicated.

What’s weird is, my grandad also had TB when my mum was a toddler (around 1959 ish) and had a lung lobectomy and spent months in hospital. My mum and uncle and Nan were all vaccinated then and my auntie as a baby when she was born a few years later.

I had mine at school in year 9. Guessing a fair few didn’t as it was a really snowy day that day. It must last longer than 10 years as when you go onto a healthcare course or start an nhs job they ask if you have a scar from your bcg (well you’d like to think they’d know anyway lol).

It’s interesting though. I read the covid/bcg link the other day.

@Tonemeth

None. Don't know anybody who currently has measles, whopping cough, rubella or any of the other things that can be vaccinated against either, because, well, they're vaccinated. Surely if they stop the BCG tuberculosis will make a comeback?

I'm mid-30s and I had it at school. I don't know if anyone my age who opted out.

My baby DD actually had hers last week, and my older DC (5 and 3) have also had it, as we're in a high TB area.

We’ve all had it by virtue of either traveling to TB countries or being in close contact with such travellers.

Yes, I just turned 28

Anyone else when it was healing have a black hairy scan grow over it looked like a caterpillar? I'm in NI and we had it in P7 the summer term before high school. Two people from our village have died from TB in the last ten years. It definitely didnt have anything to do with at risk countries either as your considered a "foreigner" if you're from Belfast here.

Yes.

Mandatory where I am from. It's the first vaccine you get before leaving the hospital.

Got "top-up" in teen years.

I'm from N.I and got mine in primary school too, I can still remember lining up for it (and the drama, kids fainting etc).

Just checked and I still have the scar, it's faint but there.

49. Never had it. About half of our year got it. Can’t remember why. I didn’t refuse. Half of us were told we didn’t need it so weren’t getting it.

I'm 52 and never had it - my mother was one of the original anti vaxxers. As a result I had whooping cough and measles before I was 5, mumps at 7 and rubella at 10. I finally got my polio Immunisation when I was 27, at the same time as my newborn son!
Needless to say, both my dc had all their jabs and I am also first in line for the flu jab every year! Show me a needle and I'm on it!

Also I can still remember the nurse counting down slowly, three...two... then jab! before she got to one, which I suppose was to stop kids from jerking away in fear at the last minute, by taking them by surprise like that?

*Or rather three...two-jab!

I had mine as a baby as did my three sons all born in the Highlands in same hospital. DD hasn’t she was born in England.

I'm 68 in Scotland and every one had it at school

My uncle died of TB when I was nine so I had the bubble test, I was ok. I then had the six needle test at 12 and four out of six reacted so they gave me the vaccine. The vaccine left no scar ( late 80s) so when I started working in the hospital they gave me the needle test again and again I had a partial reaction so as they had had a foreign doctor who had come over with and was being treated in the hospital at the time they injected me again and still I have no scar (now late 90s). I am not sure if I have a crap immune system though as have had two courses of hep b injections without producing antibodies

Got mine in about year 9 at school, I'm 31 end of the year. I can always remember people fainting etc lol such drama. Got a huge scar from it though

Had mine age 12 in ‘94, same for DH. All 3 of my children (born in London within the last 6 years) have been vaccinated before leaving the hospital.

No, was at school in the 80s and it was advised but still optional and my mum said I didn't have to have it!

I didn’t have it at school, there were definately quite a few years when they stopped it in our area. When I started nurse training I then had to have it. I’m in my mid 40’s now.

I’m 39 and had it the first year of secondary school I think.

I'm 28 and had it. I was suprised to hear they'd stopped doing it. I live in a rural area which is the opposite of multicultural, yet anecdotally I still hear of people getting it.

After this is all over, I'd quite like to get my children vaccinated for it privately, if such a thing is possible. Both mine and DH's grandparents spent months in sanatoriums in the 60s and 70s due to TB, it wasn't yesterday but it wasn't that long ago either

27, didn't have it. Ours was the first year at school not to have it. I was delighted after all the horror stories the older years said, but now I wish I'd had it!