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Original poster

TB vaccination - help needed from people whp's babies had it under 3 months old

13 replies

IlanaK · 21/09/2004 21:43

My ds1 had this as a newborn in hospital with no problem at all (3 years ago) - he did not even get any mark on his arm or blister. Ds2 had it over a month ago and has this week gotton the blister. It has got bigger and bigger and very very angry red. It does not seem to hurt him though. I was at hospital today with him for an unrelated matter and showed it to the doctor. He said that the vaccine has been changed and they are seeing many more cases "like this". I asked what to do and he said just to keep an eye on nit for a couple of weeks and maybe show to GP. They would m aybe have to drain it and give anti biotics. HE also briefly mentioned somethign about aniti TB tablets!

I have no idea what he is on about but am somewhat concerned. Does anybody know anything about this?

OP posts:
Socci · 22/09/2004 10:23

Message withdrawn

dinosaur · 22/09/2004 13:35

Both my older DSs had the TB vaccine when they were about six weeks old and both got a big red lump on their arm some weeks after the jab. Neither of them required any treatment for it and the lump just gradually went away after time.

I was told when DS3 had his TB vaccine last week that they were now using a new brand of vaccine and that more children were now developing these lumps. As far as I know they are nothing to worry about.

HTH

prettycandles · 22/09/2004 14:00

I have also heard that babies who get the TB jab as newborns tend not to get a mark, and that the older the child is when they are jabbed, the bigger the reaction tends to be.

Both of mine have reacted in the way you describe, and there has been no problem at all over it. A warning though, ds's burst one day when we were out, and we had to go and beg a bowl of boiled water and some cottonwool from a nearby creche to clean all the pus-like gunk that was coming out. So you might want to make sure that you carry something suitably sterile for an emergency clean-up in your changing bag.

SofiaAmes · 22/09/2004 14:30

I believe in all vaccines and lots of them, however, I did decline to have my dd vaccinated with the tb vaccine. I had my ds done as a newborn without problem, but my paediatrician in the usa recommended against it. She said that the vaccination is actually only about 60% effective and makes it much more difficult to test if they actually have tb for the next 10 years or so.
I have to say that given that 2 different parents have been told by their gp's that the new jab is causing trouble, it's shameful that there hasn't been more information about it in advance.

suzywong · 22/09/2004 14:35

My three year old's vacination was what they call subcutaneous and left no mark like your son's, but it had changed two and a half years later to the other type so I didn't get it done for ds2. Plus it would have meant going to a TB clinic in Tottenham and hanging about in the waiting room - not a bright idea for a newborn I don't think

Sorry to hear about your poor old ds2.

suzywong · 22/09/2004 14:35

no it was called percutaneous, sorry, anyway I don't know why they don't offer it any longer.

Fennel · 22/09/2004 14:38

dd3 recently had this at 8 weeks and the scab did turn into a slightly pus-filled blister a few weeks later. then it subsided without any intervention. I can't remember that happening with her big sisters.

Original poster
IlanaK · 22/09/2004 19:38

Thanks - that has reassured me. I will just watch it and hopefully it will go down. The reason I had both my children done is that I never had it. So I do not pass on any natural immunity to them. Also, we live in central london where the incidence of TB is high. I am annoyed that they changed it without giving out the information though.

OP posts:
Angeliz · 22/09/2004 20:12

I had this as a kid but didn't think it was in the Vaccine schedule over here (in U.K). How are some getting it and some not??

bluebear · 22/09/2004 20:32

Same here IlanaK, ds had it at a few weeks old, by the old method.(a sort of 'gun' to pierce the skin then the vaccine dripped on) .no mark.
Dd had it at a few weeks old by the new method (injected using needle), and had a blister/oozing mark that lasted until after she was 6 months old!

Fennel · 22/09/2004 20:40

Angeliz - they give it in the areas with a higher risk of TB - usually the big cities with a high Asian population. like central London or Manchester.

Angeliz · 22/09/2004 20:46

Oh, thanks for that fennel

IlanaK, hope your son is o.k++

karen99 · 22/09/2004 20:50

Hi IlanaK, my ds only received his bcg at 14mo and for five weeks now it's been a small red dot. However, in this last week it's inflamed and looks quite sore in the centre with redness spreading out to about the size of a 20p piece! It doesn't seem to bother him though. I'm hoping the others are right and I'll sit and wait it out too.
Please let me know if you hear anything else..

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