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Location: Romford, uk
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 14,265
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In the UK, BCG vaccination (with live but weakened tubercle bacteria) is no longer routinely given to all children of secondary school age. The highest rates of the disease occur in particular risk groups and it now makes more sense to target
BCG vaccination for people who are at greatest risk of the disease. The vaccine is now recommended for:
- infants under one year of age living in areas where the incidence of TB is 40 cases per 100,000 people or higher
- infants under one year of age whose parents or grandparents were born in a country with an incidence of TB of 40 cases per 100,000 people or higher
- children with risk factors for TB who have not previously been vaccinated
- new immigrants from countries with a high incidence of TB who have not already been vaccinated
- contacts of people diagnosed with TB affecting the lungs
- health care workers, veterinary staff, staff working in prisons, residential homes, shelters for the homeless or hostels for refugees
- people intending to live, travel or work in countries with a high incidence of TB for more than a month.
Vaccination greatly reduces the likelihood of subsequent pulmonary TB and effectively prevents varieties of blood-borne tuberculosis such as miliary TB or tuberculosis meningitis, which can be difficult to diagnose in time and can cause devastating damage.