Contents:
- Medical Video: The Tuberculosis Vaccine
- What is the BCG vaccine?
- Everyone is required to get the TB vaccine, except ...
- Can the TB vaccine be delayed?
- What are the side effects after doing the TB vaccine?
Medical Video: The Tuberculosis Vaccine
Tuberculosis (TB) has long been a serious health problem throughout the world, especially in some developing countries. According to WHO, one third of the world's population has been exposed to tuberculosis germs, and every second one person is infected with TB. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), notes that tuberculosis accounts for 1.7 million cases of death worldwide. About 140,000 deaths from tuberculosis occur every year in Indonesia. That means, there is one Indonesian who dies from tuberculosis every 8 hours. In fact, TB can be prevented by a variety of simple things. One of them is gettingTB vaccine called the BCG vaccine.
What is the BCG vaccine?
BCG vaccine stands for "Bacille Calmette-Guerin" which is a combination of the names of two doctors who first developed it, namely Dr. Albert Calmette and a researcher named Camille Guerin in 1921. The BCG vaccine was developed from the Mycobacterium bovis bacteria whose characteristics are similar to the bacteria that causes TB,Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Because it is similar, the vaccine will work to mimic the occurrence of TB infection in the body. However, the germs in this TB vaccine have been weakened so that they do not cause disease and endanger humans. Instead they will trigger the response of the body's immune system to form antibodies. These antibodies will fight TB bacteria before they spread and cause symptoms.
In other words, the BCG vaccine will form protection against tuberculosis.
Everyone is required to get the TB vaccine, except ...
Ideally, every Indonesian person must get a TBC vaccine to prevent tuberculosis transmission considering TB cases in Indonesia are still quite high.
BCG vaccine must be given only once to newborns at the age of one to two months. This vaccine is not specifically intended for adults.
But if you don't get it as a child, you are encouraged to get it as soon as possible. In addition, you also have to do a repeat TB vaccine if you work as a health worker who often handles and confronts directly with active TB patients.
Even so, there are some groups of people who are not recommended to get the BCG vaccine. They are:
- Have had TB or are currently on TB treatment
- Are undergoing cancer treatment or other severe conditions that weaken the immune system
- Pregnant women
- Have performed a tuberculin test with positive results
- Positive has HIV
- Have eczema - redness, dryness and itching - or dermatitis
- Receive another live vaccine in the past four weeks
If you experience this condition, then you should tell and consult this to the doctor.
Can the TB vaccine be delayed?
It's best to do the TB vaccine as soon as the doctor recommends it. However, giving TB vaccines can be postponed on record if you or your child falls into the following categories:
- A newborn with an unhealthy body condition, as well as a baby born with a weight <2.5 kilograms (kg)
- A new baby is born from a mother who is HIV positive, and does not yet know the baby's HIV status
- People who are suffering from high fever or severe illness
What are the side effects after doing the TB vaccine?
Side effects from the TB vaccine are actually rare. But in some cases, side effects can appear, such as the vaccination injection area feels painful with swelling and redness. This complaint is natural, not dangerous and usually heals slowly by itself.
Sometimes there are also severe reactions such as swelling of the armpit glands, until sudden reactions such as allergies with symptoms include a rash on the skin and swelling in one or several limbs. However, these side effects are very rare.
