Should I get a TB vaccination (again)?

[simon43]

I posted recently about getting Japanese Encephalitis and Rabies vaccinations, because I work in, and visit some rather remote, rural areas of Myanmar.

 

One of my weekly efforts is to teach at a large rural orphanage, where there are about 800 kids of all ages. During today's lesson, I realised that some of the young children have TB, with coughing.  (IE - they are infectious!).  This was confirmed to me by the orphanage, who said that they have quite a number of young kids with TB (you can imagine that this orphanage is by no means a 'modern' place - the kids have no shoes, only donated clothes etc etc).

 

 

One of my ex-wives in Phuket had TB a few years ago, and so I am aware of the risks of infection.  Especially for me, I also have Aspergillosis (fungal/mould spores in my lungs), and so I have to look after my lung health.

 

I had a BCG vaccination as a child, some 45 years ago.

 

Is it recommended that I have another TB vaccination, to try to minimise my risk of contracting TB?  (The best way to minimise the risk is not to teach at the orphanage of course, but that option is not near the top of my preferred options).

 

Advice is very much appreciated.

[Sheryl]

BCG is not generally recommended for adults. Its limited effectiveness is mainly in reducing the risk of extrapulmonary TB in children.

[khunPer]

3 hours ago, Sheryl said:

BCG is not generally recommended for adults. Its limited effectiveness is mainly in reducing the risk of extrapulmonary TB in children.

It seem like the child "calmette"-vaccine immunity begin to reduce after 10-years, after what I can read – can one that have been vaccinated as child consider one as protected, and is there any alternative..?

I can see that the Danish State Serum Institute in December 2013 published that they have a new vaccine which seem promising, but so far only in phase II tests in both Europe and Africa.
SSI May 11th 2016: Tuberculosis Vaccine Research

SSI March 11th 2014: Prevention of TB infection study underway in South Africa. Novel Vaccine Trial Design Aims to Answer Key Tuberculosis Questions and Enhance Vaccine Development Strategy. 

[simon43]

BCG is not generally recommended for adults. Its limited effectiveness is mainly in reducing the risk of extrapulmonary TB in children.

 

Thanks!

 

In that case, I will keep at some distance from these TB kids :)

[Jorgendk]

As that artikel is from 2014 I would contact the Danish SSi and hear whether they now have a vaccine that has finished the trail state.

[Sheryl]

There is as yet no other vaccine recommended for TB.

 

BCG is not very effective and to the extent it does anything it is to decrease somewhat the frequency of a type of disseminated TB that is found in children but is rare in adults (unless they are immunocompromised).

 

The vaccine is not recommended for adults.

 

TB is not as easily contacted as people tend to think. In a person with a healthy immune system, even if you become infecetd with the TB bacillus you will usually not get TB. And infection usually requires sustained close contact. It spreads in institutional setting like prisons and among family members but the odds of picking it up otherwise are low.

[chicowoodduck]

Oh my Buddha, seek medical advice from a doctor, NOT TV.......are you crazy? ?????

[gk10002000]

my doctor only recommended Hepatitis A and B, and a tetanus booster if you have forgotten when you got the last one. I was 48 at the time and headed to Thailand for my first trip

[mrwebb8825]

You should take up smoking. Kills everything. Been smoking for 47+ yrs and my last lung x-ray was clear as a bell. :)

[khunPer]

On 6/25/2017 at 3:15 AM, chicowoodduck said:

Oh my Buddha, seek medical advice from a doctor, NOT TV.......are you crazy? ?????

FYI: Sheryl is just such a both experienced and trustworthy medical adviser – you know, ThaiVisa do in between also have some experts, you can rely on...

[khlongtoey]

I would purchase a few professional standard TB masks, and wear them, technically they are also supposed to be tested for fit, in the business,  and-or have the active kids wear them,  I believe it is "airborne" precautions for TB

 

https://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/infectioncontrol/default.htm