Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Tuberculosis (TB) Vaccination
BCG is a vaccine for TB. This vaccine is not widely used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. BCG vaccine does not always protect people from getting TB. If you were vaccinated with BCG, you may have a positive reaction to a TB skin test. This reaction may be due to the BCG vaccine itself or due to infection with the TB bacteria. Your positive reaction probably means you have been infected with TB bacteria... More
What You Should Know:
For Health Professionals:
What You Should Know
- CDC's official Tuberculosis website
- Questions and Answers about TB
- Fact Sheets
- Pictures of Tuberculosis
Warning: Some of these photos are quite graphic. - International Travelers information on TB
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc.
BCG is a vaccine for TB named after the French scientists who developed it, Calmette and Guérin. BCG is not widely used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. More...
- Who should not be vaccinated? (see "contraindications" at this link)
- TB and Pregnancy: Fact sheet
For Health Professionals
Clinical
- TB Guidelines
- Contraindications (see "contraindications" at this link)
- More...
Recommendations
- Development of new vaccines for tuberculosis: recommendations of the Advisory Council for the Elimination of Tuberculosis (ACET). MMWR 1998; 47 (No. RR-13).
- The role of BCG vaccine in the prevention and control of tuberculosis in the United States: a joint statement by ACET and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR 1996; 45 (No. RR-4).
References and Resources
- MMWRs on TB
- Fact sheets on TB
- Articles on TB
- Surveillance reports
- Travelers Health: Yellow Book
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, international certificate of vaccination for yellow fever, pregnancy, etc. - Infection Control in Health-Care Settings
- More...
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Content last reviewed on May 23, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases