BootsnAll Travel Community

...or innoculation, or whatever you call it, is it true that TB skin tests forever after, will appear positive?

It may or may not (more than likely it will). Just let the nurse/Md know that you have been previously vaccinated for TB.

Do you live in the US? Cause they don't usually vaccinate people in the US.

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Originally posted by chelley:
It may or may not (more than likely it will). Just let the nurse/Md know that you have been previously vaccinated for TB.

Do you live in the US? Cause they don't usually vaccinate people in the US.

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I was born in Finland, and have to jump through hoops every damn time I get the skin test (Xrays etc) when I tell them I was innoculated, they look at me like "yeah, right"

thx for the info tho, I appreciate it, now my case is strengthened when I see the doc AGAIN

Ideally, you are not supposed to have a Mantoux test once vaccinated with the BCG Vaccine. However, if you are vaccinated, try to get proof of this, such as an international vaccination certificate.

And yes, it is almost certain that after the vaccine you will come up positive on the test. You will also have a little scar where the vaccine was given, which is sometimes enough to let people know!

cheers,

sub.

I am from Europe and I was vaccinated. When i moved to the US they requiered me to take the TB test. It turned out positive of course and even though i had proof of being vaccinated they forced me to have the chest Xray taken... What a bunch of assholes...
It really depends on the situation. Sometimes proof of vaccination will give you peace and at other times you will have to get your chest x rayed... go figure

I work in a medical clinic in Canada and many people need to get a TB test as a work requirement (eg. joining the police force, nurses etc).

People who have had the immunization in the past (usually in another country) will have a postive reaction. It is just standard procedure to have a chest x-ray. It's not that doctors don't believe that an immunization was given - just procedure and following the rules.

Now if your country makes you pay for the x-ray that stinks! (It's free here and they is a lab in the same building as my office - very handy)

Protecting the citizenry against a tuberculosis outbreak?
What a quaint idea.

Mina: the more time that passes since your BCG (TB) vaccination, the less likely you are to test positive on your PPD (TB skin test). But it's also quite possible that you will test positive for life. Having had the BCG vaccine does NOT mean you're protected from TB...go figure.

In addition to BCG vaccination, a positive PPD exhibited from a person without active TB can also be indicative of latent TB. And that's why (Jeanne-on the road again) even after having a positive PPD even with proof of prior vaccination, you are likely to be forced to have a chest xray. Because without xray verification, there's no way to detect if the PPD is a false positive due to the BCG vaccine or latent (and asymptomatic) TB.

Mina, since you're familiar with the xray process, I'd get a copy of a dated, labeled xray for your own use. Drag it along with you when you need it. It may save you time in the future.

If you know your PPD is positive, verbalise that fact. When patients tell me that, it's straight to xray if they don't have a recent one on hand.