Baby Zian was already three weeks old when I found out that he doesn’t have BCG Vaccine yet. I forget to ask the Paediatrician about it before we were discharge. When we went back a week after his birth which was his first check up, I asked the Paediatrician about the vaccine and told me it will start right away when he reach one month old.
Unexpectedly Zian had mild colds so we brought him to our family Paedia (she did not handle my son during delivery). After few days of treatment, we then asked for a complete list of vaccine and that was the time I found out that BCG vaccine should be given at birth. My son was already three weeks and two days at that time and he doesn’t have BCG shot yet.
BCG is a vaccine that protects us from tuberculosis and it is a required vaccine to countries prone to tuberculosis. Our family paedia couldn’t believe that my son didn’t get BCG Vaccine at birth. She happens to know the peadia who handled Zian during his delivery and she still couldn’t believe how that peadia forgot to give a dose of BCG to my son. Upon discovering that BCG Vaccine should be given at birth, I did more research about it. Also I looked back at my eldest son’s baby book, and he got a dose of BCG a day after his birth. According to Baby Center, BCG Vaccine should be given at birth within the first two months of life.
If BCG is not given at birth or within 6 months of life it is advice that the child should undergo a Mantoux Test. The test will identify if the child is sensitized to tuberculosis and if the child is already sensitized BCG is not required.
