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 in 2001 when I was 13 and then promptly fainted after 😂

yes, as a teenager and my older 3 children. I then paid £400 for the twins to have it when teenagers too.
I am amazed how the UK state can some years say you must have it - its wonderful and then utterly change their view!

I'm 59 and I had it at school in the 1970s. My eldest daughter was born in 1997 and had it done as a baby, but that was because the area we lived in was high risk (fairly near Heathrow).

By the time the younger was born (1999) we had moved and she has never had it.

I'm late 20s and I had it

I reacted badly to the skin test and got sent for chest X-rays. I think this was around 2000 ish! Everyone in my year either got it or had a reaction.

inews.co.uk/news/health/bcg-vaccine-coronavirus-tb-vaccination-covid-19-evidence-who-warning-2539201

I'm 40 and had it at secondary school, my children had it at birth as their dad is Indian, he had it as a child growing up in India.

I've no idea why the stopped giving it here given how much immigration there is these days.

SH and I are in our 40s and both had it at school.

I thought my mum had, had it but apparently she hasn't. It wasn't done yet when she was at school.

DD1 had it done at 2 days old in 2008 as standard. For DD2 born in 2011, I managed to enable her to have it, at 2 days old, based upon her grandparents living near Heathrow and that being classed as a high risk area.

DH and I both have a mark where we had the injection. Neither of my children have any mark at all. I was figuring they've improved it over the years.

I can't believe they don't do BCGs as standard any more. TB cases are increasing.

My DD had it aged 11 days in 2010-that was due to living in an inner London borough. I'm mid 40s so had it a very long time ago!!!

I'm in my 50s, had the BCG and am pretty sure (as much as I can be without the test) that I had the virus about a month ago (quite poorly for 2 weeks but nothing more).

I can’t see there being a link. I had the BCG vaccine and it is still given in my city to babies born within Pakistani families. There has been a significant number of Asian adults contacting covid here who would of certainly had the vaccine. Maybe there is some other similarity in these countries with low rates of BCG and covid?

Some countries are doing trials using BCG to see if it helps

Bioprepper I think the feeling is that having had a BCG could lessen the severity of Covid19, not actually stop you catching it.

I'm 55 and clearly remember having the BCG at secondary school
It was referred to as the heaf test
Some came up in a huge red lump but I didn't( can't remember if my non reaction was good or bad!)

I had it circa '91

nettytree really surprised at that if he lived for years after as, if I remember rightly, the lungs heal themselves over time so he should have been clear by the time he died. If he was alive now he might have some immunity to this, if the links are correct.

Non-reaction was bad and you were probably given a booster a week later! The mark still v clear on my arm (40+), one of my dcs has his but not the other, not available in Europe for years.

@Heygirlheyboy
Thank you, I must have had the injection then Not at all squeamish so probably why I don't remember

I (mid 30s) had it at school age 10 or so, in the early to mid 90s. Everyone had it unless they reacted to the six needles test. DH (late 30s) had it at school too and we both have scars.

Both my DC (5 and under) have had it too, as both were born in London boroughs: DC1 had it at about two weeks old, DC2 before even leaving the hospital. Neither of them have a scar, I don't think, maybe because they were so young.

We think we have all had Covid in this household - a mild illness for DH, very mild for both DC, unpleasant but never at all dangerous for me. But that would seem to correspond more to age and possible viral load - or then again, since we were all vaccinated, perhaps it's a moot point.

Uncomfortablydumb53 if I remember rightly, the reaction was checked a week later so it could have been as simple as a booster on the spot at that point. I remember only two in our year needed it. Some girls were scratching the original lump to ensure reaction stayed

Ooh Chainsawbear you think it was you got it if you reacted... hmmm.. perhaps that was it. Apologies uncomfortablydumb if so. I had understood the check the reaction was to see if infant jab was still working, top up for.those who needed it. Apologies. Might have been different into Ireland tho.

I remember having it in 1987 at school.
My DM also said I had it as a baby as my DF had TB as a child. Don't know if she's mistaken there as I only have the one scar.

I didn't have it, but I did have symptomless TB as a child (close family member had a severe case so I had to be tested). The treatment I had for that meant my six needles test remained raises, on both occasions they did it.

I'm 30's and everyone at school had it hardly anyone didn't get it. Mum n dad are late 50's and they both had it too.

I reacted to the skin test so was referred for a chest X-ray.

Didn’t go.