bcg injection

[1mum1]

We have been offered this jab for our 5.5 week old daughter as apparently we live in a higher risk (in a London borough) for TB.

Does it leave a really big mark on them and are there any side effects? and should we even have it done?

Thanks for any advice!

Hi,

My DS1 has had the BCG and DS2 will have it too. I have no qualms having my kids have the jab as I have had it as the country I was born in is in itself NOT high-risk but the surrounding areas are. And my kids are obviously going to travel to my home country and the surrounding areas a lot growing up. The advice I was given was to have it done as early as possible as there is a certain technique to giving it and the younger the baby is, the easier it is to administer. DS1 had it done around 10-12 weeks as we were travelling to my home country when he was 4 months. The mark itself took a while to fully heal (we are talking about months) but left a very small scar. And he didn't suffer any side effects to the injection. Scarily enough, when I was in my home country, a British woman with TB was diagnosed after flying into China and they were trying to trace everyone on the plane as a precaution so for me, that story made it worth doing. Good luck!

Ax

Oh yes, I would also try to leave a 4-week gap between any jabs just so the babies' little bodies are not overloaded with vaccines all at once!

I think it's a really tricky one... we had it done for dd2 but not dd1. By the time dd2 was born and we were being strongly advised to get her done, dd1 was too old to be offered the jab on the NHS. I pondered getting it done privately, but was advised by the HV to leave it, as it only gives immunity for about 15 years (and then only about 80% iirc) so she suggested leaving it till dd1 wanted to go travelling at 18!

The jab itself was not that big a deal for dd2, though the swelling was ugly for months and finally burst in a quite disgusting way. She is now nearly 15 months and it is still red but turning into a scar (got it done at 3 months).

I have no idea what is the right thing to do! I think there are arguments either way.

An aunt with TB came to stay with us for two weeks (to say goodbye before she went off to her sanatorium) while we were tiny. Of course, she didn't mention she had TB until she was leaving. My bros and I all had the jab immediately, my little bro still in swaddling.

I have a slight dent in my thigh. That's it.

My dd had this at birth. She was born in a country with a very high incidence of TB. I've jut looked and can't see any sign of where the injection went in. No scarring at all.