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?

Tonemeth

We had an outbreak at work a few years back. We all had to get tested to check we were immune before being allowed to go back. Almost all of the under 30's failed the test and were given the "jab".

I didn't, we were on holiday.

I had it as a teen in the 90s. DD had it at birth but DS didn't - they were born in different hospitals.

I'm 29 and had it in early secondary school. My sister is 2 years younger and didn't. I think I was one of the last, if not the last year to have it.

That's TB isn't it? I had the vaccine in high school in the 90's. I'm 38.

I think my brother born in 1990 may have been part of the last group. I was born in 1994 and didn't have it at school but did as a HCP. So it's likely only to be over 30's who widely had access to it

I'm 67 and had it but I don't remember either of my dc , born 82 and 85 having it.

I'm in my 30s from the UK and never had it. I had a cold on the day of the heath test at school and the nurse told me I wasn't allowed to have it!

I'm 34 and had it

I am 42 and had a huge dose as a baby due to travelling to Afghanistan. Big scar. Seems a tenuous link though.

I'm 45 and still remember queuing up at secondary school to get it.

They don't do it at schools in my borough anymore. Haven't for at least the last 12 years, that I've been organising it. We still send the letters out, on behalf of the vaccination team, but parents are asked to contact their doctor if they feel their child needs to have it.

I had it in the early 80s. Everyone I know seems to have the scar. I didnt realise until all this that it was no longer routinely given.

I don’t see how it has been protecting people in the U.K. with the numbers of deaths and seriously ill as high as Italy.

I reacted to the test, but wasn't ever sent for chest x ray or found out why. Aged 45.

Dd had it as a baby, she's aged 9. I think most London boroughs (and I imagine other cities) give babies the BCG due to a resurgence in TB. I'm not sure if there was a gap though between when they stopped giving it in school and when they started giving it to babies.

I'm 55 and had it. Most of UK did I should think and our death rate is pretty bad.

I'm 48 and I had it, as did my dh (same age, but diff school years).

Do we have a high incidence of TB though? Amongst people born here? Or are the figures inflated by people who've emigrated here from areas where it's endemic?

TBH, Michael Mosley doesn't have much of a clue about anything and I'd take everything he says on Twitter with a massive pinch of salt.

I'm 36 and my year at school had it. I didn't because my Heaf test came back with quite a reaction and they said I'd already been exposed to TB/had some immunity. I'm not sure how but my dad also has immunity and didn't have a BCG.

I'm 31 and had it, and so has my 4 year old son. All my siblings (26,22,19) have had it too.

It was being done at my high school in 1994/1995 but I never gave the consent form to my mum and then moved schools so I skipped it

My DD had it at birth as her dad is a nurse

I'm 40 and had mine. I didn't realise til recently it had been stopped so not sure when it happened

Ive had it (30s) and i remember the whole year queuing up to get it in the school hall.

I have 2 under 2 and they were both given BCG as a newborn as we are in London.

Italy did use to give the BCG, DH (mid 30's) didn't have it but his parents (60's) did, he was really surprised I had the scar as he thought only older people had it.

I'm 54 and had mine in school, late 70's

DS was born in 1986, I asked about BCG and was told by the HV that Oxfordshire didnt do it as her words "it's cheaper to treat than to vaccinate all, as we have a low incidence of it here. It's more prevalent where there are higher concentrations of people from overseas"