tb vaccine (BCG)

[polar77 0]

Does anyone know if all babies normally get the BCG vaccine (for TB) in the Phillipines? My wife has no scar on her arm and does not think she got it. She is 23, and from Cebu. Is it normally given? Just wondering....thanks

[bevs 0]

Does anyone know if all babies normally get the BCG vaccine (for TB) in the Phillipines? My wife has no scar on her arm and does not think she got it. She is 23, and from Cebu. Is it normally given? Just wondering....thanks

usually BCG shot is seen at your arms. i got 2 scars on my arms and doc recoginze one for BCG. sometimes it really depends on the parents whether they are respondsible enough to bring there baby at any health center who gives free vaccine such this. im a mom too i get most of my son vaccine to our local health center for free, but some vaccine is not availble at health center, so he got those shot to his private pedia which is cost high. dont worry about it, the ST. lukes will give your wife the vaccine she needs. i got MMR, anti cervical cancer, and anti titanus shots. does she going to have a medical at st. lukes?

Edited September 28, 2008 by bevs

[jamesNrei 0]

BCG vaccines are given routinely to all newborns here in the Philippines. However if your wife's family did not have access to health care while she was young there is a chance that she was not given the shot. Your wife should ask her mother/ care taker if she was given any vaccines when she was an infant. Scar may be seen on upper arms or on buttocks, it may be so subtle that she cannot see it. Better ask her caretaker.

For the medical exam she will have an XRay. Based on the Xray findings she will be either cleared or for further evaluation (sputum collection) or for treatment. She will not be given a BCG vaccine.

[jamesNrei 0]

BCG vaccines are given routinely to all newborns here in the Philippines. However if your wife's family did not have access to health care while she was young there is a chance that she was not given the shot. Your wife should ask her mother/ care giver if she was given any vaccines when she was an infant. Scar may be seen on upper arms or on buttocks, it may be so subtle that she cannot see it. Better ask her caregiver.

For the medical exam she will have an XRay. Based on the Xray findings she will be either cleared or for further evaluation (sputum collection) or for treatment. She will not be given a BCG vaccine.

I mean caregiver

[vsmtghdy 2]

Expanded Program of Immunization (Philippines) adviced that babies have their BCG vaccine at birth or any time after birth, but not all Moms have access to health center for the free vaccines, especially if in the remote provinces. My Mom is from Cebu and she had her BCG vaccine, my sister was born in Cebu (1965) and she had her BCG vaccine and I was born in Oroquieta City but I had my vaccine. Besides, not all vaccines will have a "visible" scar, so it is still a big possibility that she had this vaccine. At her age, they will not be requiring her to have a BCG vaccine, this is no longer age-appropriate and with the possibility of exposure, they will not be giving this to her. If her CXR will have some "suspicious" findings, then they may ask her to undergo a sputum AFB test. But, for those who will be filing AOS, then Civil Surgeon may have to do a TB Skin test and if positive (which is likely because of prior exposure and the false-positivity result due to the BCG vaccine), applicant may have to reapeat her CXR or undergo further examinations.