Given the news today I have to wonder if anyone checked into the possibility that those who tested positive on the PPD’s had ever had the BCG vaccination? Many countries take this preventative step, including some, if not all, of the Latin American countries, Sweden, several Eastern European countries and, if not now at one time, the UK. Were I to be tested tomorrow I’d show positive because, at thirteen years of age British schoolchildren were, with parental consent, vaccinated for such. In more recent years, many children were vaccinated against TB in infancy.

I could see where the problem might arise. Not long after I arrived in this country a family member was exposed to someone found to have TB. PPD was carried out, tested positive and made to daily medication for one full year even though he did not have active TB. Then again, as a toddler, his mother had had it, he probably contracted it then which served only to scar his lungs. Since he had a family, we had to then also be tested at the time he was ordered to take the medication. I went for the skin test, told the nurse I would likely test positive, she asked why and ridiculed me for my response. A nurse…and she was not aware that there was such a thing as a BCG vaccination nor the positive Tyne or Heaf tests following. I did have to have the second PPD which, of course, showed positive. On my return for the reading she was insistent upon me taking the same medication for a year until I insisted on discussing this with someone perhaps more qualified. I finally succeeded and the corpsman concurred with me, suggesting the nurse do a little more research. This wasn’t a small medical practice…this was at a military dispensary with a civilian, registered nurse. Thank heavens for a navy corpsman. At the same time, shot records had to be red-flagged so that further PPD’s not be given. What I didn’t know at that time was if one has had a Tyne/Heaf test, vaccination and then the subsequent Tyne/Heaf test for results, no other skin tests should be given.

Today, the thirty-three ’suspects’ were cleared. Did somebody panic, others jump to conclusion and I can’t help but wonder…did anyone know enough to ask if those people had ever been vaccinated in the past? Let’s hope the news today calms others amongst us, down.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 16th, 2007 at 6:04 pm and is filed under Health, Immigration. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.