BCG

kippy

Hi,
Just wondering when does a child get the BCG injection?
I noticed a report in the Indo yesterday about a TB outbreak at a midlands primary school and am wondering whether our 10 month old should already have had this injection or not,
Kippy

Moonbeam

10 months sounds very late, it used to be at a few days now it is usually a few weeks. Talk to your Phn.

kippy

Moonbeam wrote: »

10 months sounds very late, it used to be at a few days now it is usually a few weeks. Talk to your Phn.

Thats what I thought to be honest. Have called the Phn there and been advised that he wont get it for a few years yet.......I am going to call again.

Winnie

My son had his BCG while still in the hospital, 2 days after he was born!

dublinlady

Winnie wrote: »

My son had his BCG while still in the hospital, 2 days after he was born!

I thought they gave it anywhere between 12 hrs of being born and 4 months? My girl was lucky as happened to be doing it that day in hosp so she had it 14 hrs after being born!

SEORG

Our PHN told us to ring the local clinic to book the appointment, they had set times each month where they did the BCG. Our little fellas got it at 9 weeks because the earlier designated days were full.

Check the orange folder/book the PHN gave you, should give approx dates for shots in the immunisation section.

ceadaoin.

Winnie wrote: »

My son had his BCG while still in the hospital, 2 days after he was born!

My daughter too. She had it before we left the hospital to take her home. That was 5 months ago and she still has a red lump on her arm from it!

Sparks

Winnie wrote: »

My son had his BCG while still in the hospital, 2 days after he was born!

Ours as well, they kept us in a few hours extra to get it in Holles street, but if the timing had worked out differently, the PHN or GP would have given it within four days of birth.

He doesn't have a red lump on his arm from it, mind, just a very small scab and then a small mark where it healed over.

Sparks

SEORG wrote: »

Check the orange folder/book the PHN gave you, should give approx dates for shots in the immunisation section.

Orange folder?
We didn't get an orange folder, we got a fridge magnet!
(Which says BCG at four days, 6+1 & Pneumococcal at 2 months, then again at 4 and 6 months and then no more shots until one year old).

Did you guys get the luxury parents package or something?
"Forget 999, that's for plebs. Here's the *real* emergency number!"

kippy

Anyone here in the Galway area? What were your experiences?

January

HSE West don't do BCG until they are nearly 12 years old unless you put yourself on a waiting list - http://www.politicalworld.org/showthread.php?t=3711

Also some information on this forum - http://www.magicmum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=305544&view=print

Ms2011

I was in the Coombe yesterday with babs getting him his 6 week check up & was told it was ok not to have their BCG up until 7 years old.
My little fella still hasn't had his as our PHN said there's a back log at the moment & I'll get a letter when they are able to give it to my son.

How Strange

My son was born in the Coombe in 2011, we live in Dublin 10 and he got his bcg in the health centre when he was around 5 weeks old.

Lisha

some areas have a shortage of the BCG vaccine:mad:, January's information is correct.
I would hound PHN until you are put on a list and follow it up until you are done. Ask phn for number of health officer who organises appointments for your area and ring them>Each area has a central office who sorts this out

I think it is an important jab myself. Hope you get it sorted soon

GerardKeating

kippy wrote: »

Hi,
Just wondering when does a child get the BCG injection?
I noticed a report in the Indo yesterday about a TB outbreak at a midlands primary school and am wondering whether our 10 month old should already have had this injection or not,
Kippy

It varies, Dublin Hospitals then to do it at birth, Galway does it in late primary school.

staticdoor71

January wrote: »

HSE West don't do BCG until they are nearly 12 years old unless you put yourself on a waiting list - http://www.politicalworld.org/showthread.php?t=3711

Also some information on this forum - http://www.magicmum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=305544&view=print

my little one was born in mayo general on a sat. and they do the bcg in the hospital on Tuesday and Thursday so she got it at 4 days old before we went home on the Tuesday. and omg the paperwork id to read and sign!!!!

3DataModem

We did the twins at 7 months. Had to fly over from Isle of Man specially as they don't do it here...

galah

Lisha wrote: »

some areas have a shortage of the BCG vaccine:mad:, January's information is correct.
I would hound PHN until you are put on a list and follow it up until you are done. Ask phn for number of health officer who organises appointments for your area and ring them>Each area has a central office who sorts this out

I think it is an important jab myself. Hope you get it sorted soon

not sure if it's a shortage - I was told it's a dispute between the hospital and the GPs - each fobbing patients off to each other, and neither prepared to do the injections due to budgets. It's ridiculous, really - it's just Galway and Cork, as far as I have heard. :mad::mad::mad:

Moonbeam

I had forgotten that the HSE West stopped giving it but that was back in 2011.
Is it still going on?

sonandheir

Our daughter is 14months and hasn't had it yet,were in the galway area and they dont give it unless you go on a waiting list or i think you can get it when there 12 in school,my doc has said she is fine without it,we are in two minds about it,she has had all her injections so not sure whether to get it done,i think galway is the only place i know that does'nt give it when there born.

Lisha

galah wrote: »

not sure if it's a shortage - I was told it's a dispute between the hospital and the GPs - each fobbing patients off to each other, and neither prepared to do the injections due to budgets. It's ridiculous, really - it's just Galway and Cork, as far as I have heard. :mad::mad::mad:

My GP said it nothing to do with him, I rang PHN and PHN area office til I got app. Had both my babies done before 4months. I know from friends of mine that did not ask for it they did not get called til they in national school.
AS it is a slow jab to give in 2 steps I could not imagine giving it to my 4year old. He would scream and run a mile
WaS told it due to a funding shortage which I took to mean shortage of vaccine but you are right now I know its more a budget shortage to administer it.
CUMH keep saying they will give before discharge like most other mat hospitals but it keeps changing

GerardKeating

kippy wrote: »

Anyone here in the Galway area? What were your experiences?

Yes, unless you are a special case, they wont see it till late primary school

dessierb

As above post, very hard to get in Galway. Waiting list more or less suspended unless a special case and even then.......... you just may get lucky. They get it here when older - 12 i believe (5th/6th class stage). Can't understand why its not done at birth in the hospital or at clinic in the weeks following.

Little My

Also in Galway and my 10mth old hasn't had it.

Does it really matter? The NHS doesn't seem to think its necessary and I do tend to trust their guidelines. Is Ireland particularly worse for TB?

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/BCG/Pages/Introduction.aspx

kippy

Little My wrote: »

Also in Galway and my 10mth old hasn't had it.

Does it really matter? The NHS doesn't seem to think its necessary and I do tend to trust their guidelines. Is Ireland particularly worse for TB?

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/BCG/Pages/Introduction.aspx

I rang one of the doctors involved in this and basicilly he said enough to put me at ease about not getting the injection. He said there was as strong chance that by the time our lad was 12 it wouldn't be a requirement at all any more.

Thanks for all the assistance and advise.

liliq

Little My wrote: »

Also in Galway and my 10mth old hasn't had it.

Does it really matter? The NHS doesn't seem to think its necessary and I do tend to trust their guidelines. Is Ireland particularly worse for TB?

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/BCG/Pages/Introduction.aspx

kippy wrote: »

I rang one of the doctors involved in this and basicilly he said enough to put me at ease about not getting the injection. He said there was as strong chance that by the time our lad was 12 it wouldn't be a requirement at all any more.

Thanks for all the assistance and advise.

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=20653;

TB is on the rise again in Ireland- while the vaccine doens't protect against all strains, and even isn't 100% against the strains it does protect against, I wouldn't take the risk of not getting the vaccine if it's available.

GerardKeating

dessierb wrote: »

As above post, very hard to get in Galway. Waiting list more or less suspended unless a special case and even then.......... you just may get lucky. They get it here when older - 12 i believe (5th/6th class stage). Can't understand why its not done at birth in the hospital or at clinic in the weeks following.

We rang our Public Health Nurse to arrange to get our youngest done (he was five months old at the time) and got it done in 3/4 days, but we were taking him to a region where TB is endemic, so it was a special case.

So if you have a genuine special need, they can do it for you.

kippy

liliq wrote: »

http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?id=20653;

TB is on the rise again in Ireland- while the vaccine doens't protect against all strains, and even isn't 100% against the strains it does protect against, I wouldn't take the risk of not getting the vaccine if it's available.

I made that point to the doctor I was speaking too (specificilly mentioning an outbreak in Portlaoise and one in Galway country) however what he said put me at ease.
Apparently at best the BCG only provides a 75% effectiveness against those *few* remaining strains that it protects against.