Anyone paid to get a child's BCG done? I need to decide where to take her.

[Aranea]

I have just had my baby's BCG done, but apparently my 4yo is not eligible to have it on the NHS. I feel it would be wrong to vaccinate one but not the other, so I want to get it done privately.

I've found two places offering it - the hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, where it would be done in the paediatric dept and they would do an immunity test beforehand, and a travel clinic in Victoria (medicentre I think it's called), who wouldn't bother with the test as she is under 6.

The travel clinic is a lot cheaper. But do I just go for the cheaper option? Does anyone know whether perhaps a paediatrician would be better at administering it to a young child than a travel clinic doctor? And does anyone know why they have different policies about doing the immunity test and which I should go for?

I am so worried about doing it at all, as I have vivid memories of how painful it was when I had mine done at school.

Sidge - why are babies at higher risk? Are they more likely to contract it, or is it that the disease is more dangerous for them when they do get it?

I'd have to dig out my notes, but if I remember correctly it's that babies are more susceptible due to their immature immune systems, and if they catch TB they are more likely to get tuberculous meningitis which can be serious.

Do you think I'd be doing the wrong thing in vaccinating a 4yo then? I was thinking that once she starts school it was entirely possible that she might have prolonged contact with someone with TB. We live in a borough of London which is considered high-risk.

Gosh I have no idea. It would depend on where you live, which country you and she were born in, where her grandparents were born. I think the best thing is to ask your GP's advice and take it from there.

We were told that for risk you have to have sustained and close exposure, such as within a family. This explains some of the risk factors.

This site also gives you some more info about risk