BCG vaccination

[Nikkij]

Can anyone recommend a private clinic to have a baby vaccinated with BCG? I'm on the NHS waiting list but been advised to go private as we may not get the vaccine any time soon. Thanks.

[Saffron]

You may have difficulty getting it privately too. There have been on/off shortages of the BCG throughout 2015. Unless a close family member has TB, the transmission risk is very low, so its supply and use have been prioritised for high risk populations.

We opted not to do the BCG, but we've had other private imms at South London Travel Clinic in the past. Prices were competitive, and we were able to get weekend appointments. If you search the Forum, there are a couple of old threads on BCG/private imms with more info. xx

[Saffron]

Old threads here: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1577885,1578269#msg-1578269

And here: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?29,1567563

Hope that helps. xx

[Nikkij]

Many thanks that's really helpful.

[Melph91]

Hi, just curious. My now 2.5 year old had her BCG at 12 weeks if I remember correctly (I was suprised because I had mine at 15 or so at school). At the time we were living in Hackney, is the immunisation schedule different here?

[Saffron]

Where offered on the NHS, the age of immunisation has been lowered in the UK, to children under ~1 year old. This is to prevent miliary TB, a disseminated form of TB which spreads from the lungs to other organs. Miliary TB is very difficult to treat in infants, leading to a high mortality rate following infection.

However, TB itself is not highly contagious in the general population, even in areas deemed 'high risk'. This is because good housing and hygiene practices largely prevent the spread of TB. Persons most at risk of TB infection are health workers and people working with vulnerable populations (homeless people, addicts, etc), and/or people living with someone who has a TB infection.

With age, some natural immunity to TB infection is acquired. This process is thought to be related to exposure to normal environmental microbes, possibly mycobacteria/fungi, leading to some cross-immunity against TB.

[kristyl]

I originally posted in September. My daughter was offered the BCG on the NHS in early December, so it may be worth holding out. She had just turned 11 months and they were playing catch up. It was mentioned that they would extend the age range in order to vaccinate the kids who missed out due to the shortage.

[Nikkij]

Are you in Lambeth?

[kristyl]

No, Southwark.