Doses
This can be given from birth, however the dose up to age 1 year (12 months) is half the adult dose it is 0.05ml only.
BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin)
A Mantoux test (tuberculin skin test) is a routine test often carried out before the BCG vaccination if the vaccine was not given at birth. It is part of the screening process often undertaken to exclude tuberculosis infection and to detect whether a BCG vaccination is still necessary since TB has the potential to lie dormant in a patient’s body. Thus, previous exposure can be easily diagnosed with the help of the Mantoux test.
Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) bacteria. The bacteria that cause tuberculosis are spread from one person to another through tiny droplets released into the air via coughs and sneezes. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in which case it is known as latent tuberculosis.
Once rare in developed countries, tuberculosis infections began increasing in 1985, partly because of the emergence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV weakens a person’s immune system so it can’t fight TB germs.
Warning
- The vaccine is not given above age 35 years as there is no evidence it works after this age. It prevents severe Tuberculosis in children.
- Many strains of tuberculosis resist the drugs most used to treat the disease. People with active tuberculosis must take several types of medications for many months to eradicate the infection and prevent development of antibiotic resistance.
