Somehow I find this unnecessary and insulting

[sammyjayneex]

So my baby is 4 weeks old and I've had an appointment booked (without me even agreeing) for my baby to have the BCG vaccine. Before leaving the hospital I was told that my baby would be offered it because he's mixed race. I left the hospital thinking I'm not injecting my baby with chemicals on the basis he's 'mixed race'
I find it unnecessary and insulting. So a baby who lives on the same street as me won't be offered it because that child is White but mine will because he's mixed race. I find it insulting and won't be attending the appointment they booked for him without my consent. Any one else think it's unnecessary to offer it to babies based on skin colour?

Look OP. I think you are getting the wrong end of the stick. He won't be offered it if 'he's mixed race'. If his Dad was African American he wouldn't be offered it. I assure you. I work as a doctor/scientist on the TB vaccination programme.

People are offered if they live in high risk areas AND if they have a specific background as mentioned above. She may have shortened that to 'mixed race', but really there will be a reason why your son is being OFFERED it. You don't have to take it, but can I remind you that the UK has exceptionally high rates of TB for a developed country? I know plenty of people who have paid for the vaccine and you are getting one for free.

Please take it. If you don't want to take it because of the unfortunate phrasing of a single midwife, then that's your prerogative, but as a medical decision, it seems a pretty foolish one.

I'm kind of with the OP on this one. It's making assumptions about her child based on the colour of it's skin. The baby could be as solidly, historically British as the next European-looking child.

It's not that it shouldn't be offered, or that that shouldn't be influenced by ethnicity. These are sensible health precautions, but they should ask the parents, not just make an appointment and alienate her.

OP, I hope you still go and get it done, but I understand why you're pissed off.

Please think about the best interests of your child.

Heavens, what an overreaction. Just be glad you live in a country where babies are offered the BCG?

Do your research and decide from that whether you'd like your baby to have it. No drama.

I wouldn't be offended. In some races, certain illnesses are more common (eg. sickle cell aneamia in african/carribean population), so therefore, it is necessary to offer as priority, vaccinations to certain individuals.

It is nothing to do with racism.

DD1 had it and DD2 didn't, because of different policies when they were born. I wish they both had, tbh (DP and I both did).

I'd understand if you were cross about being denied it, but it seems odd to be cross about being offered it! I do kind of get where you're coming from, because it is wearisome when people are constantly making judgments about you from your appearance. But in this case, I think you've actually benefitted from it, so I'd not get too upset.

It isn't offered by ethnicity. Sigh. It is offered based on ANCESTRY and GEOGRAPHY. So a white baby with white English parents born at West Middlesex Hospital in Ealing will be offered the BCG jab as my friend was last week when she had her second child. Really really nothing to do with racist stereotyping of people. The incidence of TB in this country is much higher than it should be, and this is a small small step to combat that.

See now I'm surprised my (white/Asian) mixed raced baby wasn't offered it...the HV visitor said that inner London boroughs got it but outer London ones (so us) didn't.

I think I'll ask for one though if we visit DHs parents country.

is the sort of thing that happens that makes me a bit sympathetic to OP. It all gets a bit old after a while...

TB rates in London

OP do your own research on BCG and make your own mind up.

I did and wanted my children to have it but they couldn't get it because they didn't tick the right box.

What I discovered was TB is on the rise massively both in UK and worldwide. It is very quickly becoming resistant to the drugs available. It is a massively devastating disease.

Try to take race out of it and make your decision on your DC's best interests.

Good luck and congrats on your little one.

You are fighting the wrong battle.

He's mixed race was probably a shorthand for his dad's race is one where the prevalence of TB is higher, so to keep him safe we're offering him this injection which could save his life.

Don't just ignore the appointment, that would be daft.

My white dd had the vaccine at 8 months because my white uncle suddenly developed TB. The specialists couldn't say when or where he had contracted it, and the I didn't care. My dd was vaccinated against a deadly disease. When I was at school ALL children were vaccinated against TB at 13. Some groups are at greater risk of some illnesses. Your ds is in one of these groups so they are trying to protect him from harm - and you want to not turn up ?

Protect your child and PLEASE educate yourself about TB and the BCG vaccine because it would be a silly risk to take, particularly as your dh could be a carrier.

It will simply be because they will assume baby is more likely to be around family members with a higher risk

You can refuse if you wish but it's nothing to do with race and simply based on risk

I'm not at risk of sickle cell - should I yell racism because my GP isn't going to test me for it?? It's the same misplaced logic

OP I know a woman my age (40s). She had the BCG at school, her kids had it as babies because they live in a high risk area. They are a white family, BTW. Anyway, acquaintance's mum became unwell with a horrible cough, but struggled on because, you know, she was only 60ish, her kids and grandchildren relied on her for childcare, it would go away etc. She finally became so unwell that acquaintance took her to GP, who sent her to hospital. Go a diagnosis of TB, but didn't even last another week - she was too ill by then to respond to the treatment. Thankfully everyone else in the family had been vaccinated so at least she didn't infect any precious grandchildren, but still, horrible, shocking and tragic. Why would you not want your baby vaccinated? Be grateful it's offered and stop seeing bias where there is none.

I feel
Sorry for my kids

I also feel sorry for your kids.

Remove that massive chip off your shoulder OP otherwise ut will wiegh you down for life.

It's not based on skin colour. It's based on genetics.

You should in my personal opinion vaccinate.

Please don't be insulted it's purely based on genetics.

Congrats!

You are being rather silly OP. TB is more prevalent in certain ethnic communities than others, so the NHS offers the vaccine based on those criteria (among others) as the best use of its limited resources. Breast cancer is more prevalent in women so it's not sexist that the NHS only screens women (although men can also contract the disease). Similarly, it's not racist for the big vaccine to be offered to those it is most likely to protect.

My DS had it when tiny because of the area we lived in - all babies were offered it. If we haven't offered it, I would have asked for it as although we never bloody go anywhere, we do have relatives that do travel back and forth between the UK and (very rural) India.

Vaccinations are great. I'm so glad DS was protected.

Congratulations on your baby

The other posters are right, this vaccine is in the best interests of your child, even if it feels that way for the wrong reasons. Maybe the midwife could have been more specific and gentle, but she wasn't, but don't let that cloud your judgment on this.

There will be a million decisions to make as your child grows up, some will be easier to make than others, some may be based on his/her sex, his/her race, his/her educational ability or a million different reasons. But the best thing you can do is make those decisions based on doing the very best you can for your child.

Best of luck OP.

A vaccine is not just some random chemicals. Educate yourself.

If you qualify then your area will be part of the reason. It is possible that your Mw has misunderstood the programme but pretty unlikely. I'd just spend a minute reflecting on how upset those feel who watch their family die for lack of access to this jab.

You aren't being forced to vaccinate against TB but you need to make an informed decision based on the prevalence of the disease in your area and the likelihood of you being in contact with people from high risk areas.

Refusing the vaccine on principle because you feel your child has been singled out as a minority is unwise.

Don't be alarmed about putting 'chemicals' into your baby. Side effects are extremely rare, although the injection site can be sore.