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

• 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...

• BCG Vaccine: Fact Sheet
• Questions and Answers about BCG

• Who should not be vaccinated? (see "contraindications" at this link)
• TB and Pregnancy: Fact sheet

For Health Professionals

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