Where to get tuberculosis vaccine

You may have flu-like symptoms for up to 2 days after you receive BCG vaccine. Call your doctor at once if you have a fever of degrees F or higher.

Within 10 to 14 days after receiving this vaccine, you should see small red bumps on your skin where the vaccine and needle device were placed. This red area will gradually grow larger after 4 to 6 weeks, and then scale and fade. After 6 months you will most likely have little to no scar. BCG vaccine contains a live form of tuberculosis bacteria, which can "shed" from your injection site. This means that for a short time after you receive the vaccine, your vaccination sore will be contagious and could spread the bacteria to anything or anyone who touches it.

Keep your vaccination sore loosely covered with clothing or a light gauze dressing for at least 24 hours. Tell your doctor if you have any unexpected skin changes or severe irritation, lesions, or oozing where the needle sticks were placed. These reactions could occur up to 5 months after you received BCG vaccine. This vaccine is usually given as a single dose. You may need a repeat vaccine if your TB skin test is still negative 2 to 3 months after you received your first BCG vaccine.

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Some side effects may occur up to 5 months after you receive BCG vaccine. These side effects may also last for several weeks. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

BCG is a vaccine for TB. This vaccine is not widely used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. BCG vaccine does not always protect people from getting TB.

Your positive reaction is more likely to mean you have been infected with TB bacteria… More. The BCG vaccine is also recommended for people under the age of 16 who are going to live with local people for more than 3 months in an area with high rates of TB or where the risk of TB that is difficult to treat is high. Read more about travel vaccinations. If you want BCG vaccination for yourself or your child, you'll be assessed to see if you're at high risk of catching TB.

If you're at risk, you'll have a tuberculin skin test. If this is negative, you'll be offered BCG vaccination according to local arrangements. The test, called the tuberculin skin test or Mantoux test, will be carried out before BCG vaccination if someone:. The Mantoux test assesses your sensitivity to a substance called a tuberculin purified protein derivative PPD when it's injected into your skin. This vaccine is not widely used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common.

BCG does not always protect people from getting TB. In the United States, BCG should be considered for only very select people who meet specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert. Health care providers who are considering BCG vaccination for their patients are encouraged to discuss this intervention with the TB control program in their area. BCG vaccination should only be considered for children who have a negative TB test and who are continually exposed, and cannot be separated from adults who.

BCG vaccination of health care workers should be considered on an individual basis in settings in which.