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Original poster

Am astounded they have introduced BCG for newborn babies in our area

56 replies

dinny · 07/07/2008 20:42

Got a leaflet in an antenatal pack - am really shocked (we are in Surrey), hadn't realised TB was so rife..... (is it?)

OP posts:
2point4kids · 07/07/2008 20:44

Its common in quite a few areas. Usually poorer areas though.
Mine had it at birth but that was living in Tottenham.
Perhaps they are now spreading the initiative out further afield..

hana · 07/07/2008 20:44

has been common practice in london for at least 7 years ( dd is almost 7) so maybe they are just pushing out the perimeters

Original poster
dinny · 07/07/2008 20:44

yeah, knew it happened in pockets of London, first I've heard of it out here

OP posts:
Original poster
dinny · 07/07/2008 20:45

Hana - I had dd and ds in London (they are 6 and 3) and it wasn't in our area then (Tooting). My friend who had her children at same time at the Homerton had it though (at a year old, iirc)

OP posts:
rislip · 07/07/2008 20:47

Well I was in Richmond and had to have one for my dd. It was to do with being under the flight path and being so close to heathrow supposedly.

ScaryHairy · 07/07/2008 20:49

I was told by a specialist at a London hospital that London TB rates are getting as bad as Calcutta.

I lived in a "nice" area of London and my daughter was in contact with TB. They are particularly keen on giving the jab in areas which are close to major airports, which I suppose is a lot of the South East.

Original poster
dinny · 07/07/2008 20:49

why UNDER the flight path?

OP posts:
Beeper · 07/07/2008 20:50

LOL does TB leap out of planes.

rislip · 07/07/2008 20:50

I can't really remember, i was in a daze after labour. It was at West Middlesex Hospital and that's all I can remember them saying.

hana · 07/07/2008 20:51

we aren't far from airport

it's not really being 'under' the flightpath but being in close proximity to such a busy international airport

Original poster
dinny · 07/07/2008 20:52

must be our proximity to Gatwick then

OP posts:
dyzzidi · 07/07/2008 21:00

My dd had it as a newborn as Dh works overseas in quite remote places and there was a risk of him carrying it back IYKWIM

hana · 07/07/2008 21:02

my poor kids have awful scars from the jabs - they reacted several months after the actual jab and it went all puffy and angry looking.

BigBadMousey · 07/07/2008 21:03

I had mine done at birth as I was born outside the UK.

Was great when it came to all my classmates having theirs done at 15 - they all had big blisters and scars and scared each other to death with horror stories of the process and I got to escape it all

ScaryHairy · 07/07/2008 21:04

My daughter has a scar too.
Hers went all yuck and stayed that way until she was given IV antibiotics for something unrelated months later.
Still, it is better than TB any day of the week and like I said it is becoming really common. In the last two years we've had 3 letters from the public health authority saying that one of us has been in contact with TB.

AbstractMouse · 07/07/2008 21:05

Ooh Dp works at an airport, is it worth me enquiring about it for the dc's?

LynetteScavo · 07/07/2008 21:05

My niece had it - she lives in the manchester area and has a grandparent born abroad. DS2 could have had it this year (reception) as same grandparent was born abroad. Niece had such a bad reaction though, (and we have no ties with country grandparent was born in) I decided against it.

LazyLinePainterJane · 07/07/2008 21:09

I had mine at birth as my Grandfather had TB. I have no scar now, unlike all my peers who had theirs in their teens, but not sure if that is a reason in itself to give it (aside from the vaccine thing of course ) Just don't feel at ease with injecting newborns.

BigBadMousey · 07/07/2008 21:09

I have a tiny scar from mine but I wonder if they do it differently on the continent. I was told they just scratched me with the needle (which is what it looks like - two small scratches).

Scar definitely better than TB for sure!

sleepycat · 07/07/2008 21:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EffiePerine · 07/07/2008 21:11

It is in my area of London - DS had the BCG at 6 weeks.

Themasterandmargaritas · 07/07/2008 21:16

We live in Africa and I came back to the UK to have my dc, when I tried to get a bcg for the second one in RUH Bath,it was impossible. No one would give him one, so we waited til we arrived back in Cameroon and did it easily there

Belgianchox · 07/07/2008 21:18

it was compulsory in france for schools etc until jult last year, mine both had it when we arrived here. in belgium it wasn't offered at all.

CristinaTheAstonishing · 07/07/2008 21:19

DS born at Queen Charlotte's 8 years ago had the BCG innoculation. DD1 born at Kingston hosp. 3 years ago didn't. DD2 born at Kingston's 9 months ago did.

I'll try and find some up-to-date info on the rationale etc.

PrincessPeaHead · 07/07/2008 21:20

brilliant, much much better than having it as a pre teen or teen