Fears for children denied TB vaccine

6:32pm Monday 12th March 2007

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THERE is rising concern among parents their children are no longer to receive inoculations against TB.

Two years ago, the Department of Health announced the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis would only be given to those considered to be most at risk.

The department says the pattern of the illness is different to what it was, and now tends to affect only specific groups.

Bexley Care Trust, which administers the vaccination programme in the borough, says it has followed the department's guidelines.

It no longer provides a blanket programme to all children of school-leaving age.

The trust says only children who have been born abroad in a high-risk country, or who have a parent or grandparent born in a high-risk country, will be vaccinated.

The Government says new evidence shows the BCG vaccine is not effective enough to prevent serious adult TB.

All parents of children in Bexley schools are given a questionnaire to complete to identify whether or not their child needs the vaccine.

Iris Taylor, who is her granddaughter's guardian, is angry about the decision.

Her 14-year-old granddaughter is a pupil at the Bexley Business Academy in Thamesmead and has been told she will not get the jab.

Mrs Taylor says she tried to get the vaccination from their GP but was told he could not get hold of it.

She said: "I feel very strongly about this."

Mrs Taylor, from High Street, Plumstead, feels it is wrong to deny children the jab with TB on the rise again in London.

But the care trust says it cannot offer the vaccine on request due to the Government's criteria.

A spokesman said: "If a child does not meet the criteria for high-risk, then BCG is not recommended and they will not be vaccinated through the NHS."

• Health Protection Agency figures for TB cases in Bexley from 1999 to 2005 show there were 15 in 1999, 14 in 2000, 68 in 2001, 21 in 2002, 25 in 2003, 29 in 2004 and 22 in 2005.