TB Jab Question..

Dunkyboy_2 · 27 June 2006 at 3:17PM

My daughter is 12 this year, and her school have decided that the
children will no longer be given the TB jab, (despite the recent increase in this terrible disease.)
Is there a way round this, as my daughter wants this Jab, and is quite worried about it all.
Can we force the school/local health authority to reinstate the jab, or can you get it privately.

thanks for any help on this.

Bennifred · 27 June 2006 at 4:42PM

In Oxfordshire they haven't given the BCG jab in schools for years. When I enquired about this I was told we live in a low risk area - they seem to assume that no-one travels to higher risk areas

. Anyway when DS1 was about 13 (about 6 years ago) I took him to GP who referred him to a clinic which then carried out the test and subsequently the jab. Nuisance as had to travel, but at least he was protected. When DS2 reached 13yrs (3 years ago) took him along to GP who said they (the TB clinic) don't do that any more as they are too busy innocualting babies from "at risk" immigrant families, so unless we had reason to believe DS2 was at risk (eg visited Africa or something) he couldn't have the jab.:mad: . Same again recently when I asked. I'm afraid it is postcode prescribing again, as all my sisters' children (different counties) have all routinely received the BCG at school.

The only suggestion I have is for you to visit your GP and tell him you are planning a trip to Kenya...... Good luck, and would love to hear how you get on!

Ted_Hutchinson · 27 June 2006 at 5:28PM

TB is linked directly to low vitamin d status as can be deduced from the seasonality of it's occurance.

Anyone concerned that School 'TB jabs' are to be scrapped can alleviate any such concerns by making sure their children spend time regularly with their skin exposed directly to sunlight and thus improve not only their resistance to TB but also MS, cancers, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and other chronic conditions.

From end September onwards free vitamin d3 from sunlight isn't available in the UK as mostly it's too cold to be out long enough and the sun even at midday probably isn't at the right angle for UVB rays to penetrate. So from October through to March it's best to use a Cholecalciferol Vitamin D3 supplement, remembering that the current RDA bears no relationship to the 4000iu your body actually uses daily.

Attempting to get this amount from food sources is also doomed as the best sources are Herring 1383iu per 3 ounces Herring, pickled 578 per 3 ounces Salmon, pink, canned 530 per 3 ounces Halibut 510 per 3 ounces Cod liver oil* 450 per teaspoon Catfish 425 per 3 ounces Mackerel, Atlantic 306 per 3 ounces Oyster 272 per 3 ounces !!!!ake mushrooms, dried 249 per 4 Sardines, pacific, canned in tomato sauce 213 per 1/2 cup or 182 per sardine Sardines, atlantic, canned in oil 203 per 1/2 cup or 33 per sardine Tuna, light meat, canned in oil 200 per 3 ounces Shrimp 129 per 3 ounces Egg, cooked 26 per whole egg 25 per yolk

Aiming at getting between 1000iu-2000iu daily through the winter should ensure summers levels don't drop excessively.

Dora_the_Explorer_5 · 28 June 2006 at 9:37PM

TB is an infectious disease and is on the increase in the UK. Some sections of the population may be more vulnerable than others for a variety of reasons - poor nutrition, substance misuse, age, but low levels of vitamin D can't cause TB as it is an infection, although low levels may compromise someone's ability to fight off an infection. Dunkyboy, why not ask your GP practice if you can pay for your daughter's vaccination ? She will then be protected for any future visits abroad.

From the Health Protection Agency website -

Tuberculosis has been increasing in the UK* since the late 1980's, with 7167 cases reported in 2004 compared to 6837 in 2003. Raising awareness of TB and its symptoms and sharing information about each case is crucial as this helps in the early identification of people who are infected with TB, and in turn helps to control its spread. Having information on each case is invaluable for monitoring TB at local and national levels

Toothsmith · 29 June 2006 at 3:14PM

This is only from memory, so don't take it as gospel, unless Ted can come up with some relevant data.

But I think the strain of TB which has been innoculated against in schools for the past God knows how long is a different strain to the one giving the problems at the moment, and so is pretty useless.

Ted_Hutchinson · 29 June 2006 at 6:56PM

Dora_the_Explorer wrote:

TB is an infectious disease and is on the increase in the UK. Some sections of the population may be more vulnerable than others for a variety of reasons - poor nutrition, substance misuse, age, but low levels of vitamin D can't cause TB as it is an infection, although low levels may compromise someone's ability to fight off an infection. Dunkyboy, why not ask your GP practice if you can pay for your daughter's vaccination ? She will then be protected for any future visits abroad.

From the Health Protection Agency website -

But as you are old enough to remember the cure for TB used to be exposure to sunshine. Now are you intelligent enough to work out why that was a relatively succesful strategy?

We know also that vitamin D has profound effects on human immunity. These three independent groups have reported that vitamin D triggers the release of powerful natural antibiotics called antimicrobial peptides. If you gave someone large doses of vitamin D, would their bodies make large amounts of antimicrobial peptides?

It could also be that the higher level of pulmonary function achieved by those with high vitamin d status enables them to achieve a higher level of resistance. Interesting to see that low vitamin d status is more disabling than smoking. Not an excuse for anyone to get the fags out but a reflection on how serious a matter lack of sunlight is.

Dunkyboy_2 · 29 June 2006 at 7:13PM

Mrs Dunkyboy has a appointment next week with her GP, and will ask to see if we can have the jab if we pay for it.
I will update what-ever happens.

Ted_Hutchinson · 29 June 2006 at 7:15PM

Toothsmith wrote:

But I think the strain of TB which has been innoculated against in schools for the past God knows how long is a different strain to the one giving the problems at the moment, and so is pretty useless.

New TB vaccine shown to be safeLooks a bit as if the success of the current vaccine is so poor it's hardly worth continuing with.
The BCG vaccine is thought to offer protection for around 15 years. But it is not effective for everyone. In the UK, only around two thirds of those who receive the vaccination are believed to be protected. Some trials have suggested protection could be as low as 30%.

Dora_the_Explorer_5 · 29 June 2006 at 7:19PM

Dunkyboy wrote:

Mrs Dunkyboy has a appointment next week with her GP, and will ask to see if we can have the jab if we pay for it.
I will update what-ever happens.

Can't see why you shouldn't get it if you pay - as many women who want plastic surgery have proved. Good luck

Ted_Hutchinson · 29 June 2006 at 7:21PM

Dunkyboy wrote:

Mrs Dunkyboy has a appointment next week with her GP, and will ask to see if we can have the jab if we pay for it.
I will update what-ever happens.

Your time would be better spent making sure she played outside in her cossie for a little while each day (up to 30mins) without any sunscreen. Not only would this increase her resistance to TB but also MS and furthermore reduce by 40% her chance of getting Breast Cancer in later life. To say nothing of the reduction in ovarian and colorectal cancers.

Anastasia · 28 July 2006 at 12:16AM

My son had the TB jab last year and it took a very long time for the injection site to heal. Normally I would not have given consent for the vaccine but I thought there must have been a good reason to immunise - I did regret it.

However I did decide not to give consent for my second son because I knew rationally it wasn't necessary. Then I was relieved to find that they had discontinued it.

TB Jab Question..

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