50,000 babies to miss out on jab for TB

The number of babies in Ireland who will not have been immunised against tuberculosis by the end of the year is set to reach 50,000 — because of a European-wide shortage of the vaccine.

The backlog of unvaccinated infants is already in the region of 20,000 since the BCG vaccine ran out at the end of April. It will not be available again “until at least Quarter 1, 2016”, according to the Health Service Executive.

The BCG vaccine provides effective protection against TB in four out of five infants who are given it.