BCG - 3.6 dd having it tomorrow - how will she react?

[extremelychocolateymilkroll]

I know there can be a range of reactions but just wondered how painful the injection was, immediate and later side effects. Presumably she'll be okay to go to nursery afterwards? TIA

DS wasn't bothered at all. Flinched at the needle but didn't cry and had no discernable side effects afterwards.

If you're worried you could give her a dose of Calpol before you go and/or take some chocolate with you to distract her while the jab is given or soon afterwards if she's upset.

She should be fine to go to nursery afterwards but if she does get a temperature afterwards they might call you to pick her up.

DS had his at about 12 hours - they wouldn't let us leave hospital without it - no noticeable reaction (although I was so spaced out I wouldn't have noticed!).

My children didn't have any reaction to the jab or really cried

It isn't an injection into the vein - only one beneath the skin (IIRC) - so unlike the MMR or other booster injections

Thanks for your responses. Chocolate is at the ready.

DS screamed like he'd had his arm chopped off. Even the nurse looked amazed at his reaction. Even then he was smiling again in under a minute. :)

It's given intradermally (into the skin) rather than deep into the muscle so she will need to keep quite still. Be prepared to hold her tight!

Side effects wise, the BCG seems very well tolerated. Very few children have effects like they do with the other routine imms. Most children will get a blister after some days/weeks and this may be tender but it must just be left bare, not covered and not popped. It may look rather manky but that's normal. If you are worried about it get someone to look at it, but they don't usually get infected.

Hope she's OK. I find chocolate helps everything, for you and for her!

I actually though BCG reactions were very common. I know that certainly nearly every child in our class who had it ( when it was given routinely to all children) had a sore arm, a scab of varying size and in quite a few cases - pus for a few weeks. :( we all have a scar from it anyway. Sorry if this scares you OP - my experience was just very different to what others have described and I think you should know the negative possibilities as well - just in case.

Thanks everyone. My dd2 had it when she was 11 months and apart from crying for a minute at the time had no other reaction other than a mark on her arm. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.