Tuberculosis / BCG Clinic

At Healthlink360 Travel Clinic we run monthly BCG clinics.

These involve:

  • identifying whether you require to be vaccinated by use of a MANTOUX (skin)test
  • ‘reading’ the skin test 48 – 72 hours later
  • offering BCG vaccination if the result is negative
  • providing information on TB and after care of the injection site

Clinic Dates

7th and 10th February
6th and 9th March
10th and 13th April
8th and 11th May
12th and 15th June

Contact us for further information or to make an appointment

Tuberculosis – BCG Information

Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection spread by drops of saliva from coughs and sneezes.

In 2005, partly due to the low incidence of TB now in the UK, the BCG vaccination , offering around 80% protection against TB, was withdrawn from the childhood immunisation programme.

The incidence of TB however, remains high gobally, particularly within the developing world. In Gambia, for example, the incidence of TB is 260 per 100.000 population.

The Risks

For many travellers, particularly package holiday tourists, the risk of contracting TB, even in high risk area,s is low. It is a difficult disease to catch and generally people who are fit and healthy fight off the infection straight away.

Travellers most at risk are those living in the same house or working closely with an infected person or in a high incidence population, particularly over a prolonged period of time.

The Symptoms

Of those who become infected, some can develop ‘latent’ TB where bacteria lie dormant in the body and become active later, especially if the immune system is weakened.

Others develop ‘active’TB which can take several months to appear and slowly attacks the lungs and sometimes bones or nervous system.

Any of the following symptoms may suggest TB:

  • Fever
  • Coughing for > 3 weeks or coughing up blood
  • Weight loss
  • Night sweats
  • Extreme tiredness or lack of energy

The treatment

TB is curable, but treatment is vital and usually involves a combination of antibiotics over a long period of time, often around six months.

The Recommendations

Unvaccinated travellers under the age of 35 who are going to live or work in an area where the incidence of TB is greater than 40 cases in every 100,000 are recommended to have BCG vaccination.

Check at the clinic if you may be at risk. Our Travel Health Specialists will be happy to advise you.