BCG vaccine to Babies

What is BCG vaccine?

The Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine is a vaccine given to the people who are prone to transmit Tuberculosis. It affects any part of the body but mainly lungs through the air so when a person with active TB  sneezes, coughs or even speaks could transmit TB to other person. However, the person who have Latent Tuberculosis that does not show any symptoms, is not contagious but could develop to active Tuberculosis after sometime.

However in some countries like United States, Canada, German, etc, this vaccine is quiet limited because these countries are less infected area with Tuberculosis. On the other hand, if you have a TB or you or your family comes from TB prone area/country or you have a TB in your family then it is essential for you and your infant to get vaccinated. If you or your infant want to get vaccinated then you should inform first hand to your midwife, GP or doctors and book an appointment sooner because of its limited supply in these countries. For the child, it is best to get vaccinated few days after birth or up to six months old but can be vaccinated any time up to five years of age and for adult under 35 years old. It is said that after 35 years of age these vaccination doesn’t tend to work.

So, What to expect after vaccination?

After your baby got BCG vaccinated, the area where injected gets sore, red, lumpier and might form blister. If she gets mild fever then make sure to keep her hydrated through plenty of water to drink and breastfeed on demand. For the swelling part, make sure to keep it dry and clean, do not put any ointments, cream or plasters to cover the area. If the blister or pus get bursts contact your GP or midwife to make sure it’ll not get infected. Anyhow, the healing process is slow and might take up to 3 months or more. The area might leave a scar which is quite normal with the BCG vaccine so it’s not the matter to worry about.

The vaccine however does not prevent infection with the germs that cause TB but it helps to stop getting serious TB disease and protects up to 15 years of lifetime after vaccination.

BCG Vaccine to my Daughter

My daughter was around 3 months old when she’s got a vaccination because of the limited supply in London. After she got vaccinated, I avoid giving her massage, applying lotions and kept it dry and clean everyday. However, the lump appeared and seemed like sore at the injected area after 3 months of the vaccination.

After few days, the lump burst itself leading it to ooze pus and later bleed. We showed it to the doctor after few days and they said it looked well and there is no need to worry about it. However, it ooze pus again after few days and later healed itself. It took around 3 months for the redness to completely vanish making it look normal.

My recommendation

Having said that, I would recommend all the mothers to act really quick as possible if they see any discharge coming out. Call emergency service number to consult with the specialist or head to the GP or hospital if it’s just a minute away because it might require protective dressing. However, don’t worry but just act smart.

With me, I feel I delayed to consult with the doctor beforehand that later manifested the ooze to form again. Due to which, the whole process took little longer to recover although everything turned out well at the end of the day.

♥ Thank You ♥

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