TB vaccine may only be given to ‘at-risk’ children

The vaccination against TB could become a selective jab and not one given to all babies under proposed changes by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

The health watchdog has started a public consultation on proposed changes to the BCG vaccination programme that would see the number of infants getting the vaccine fall from around 61,000 to 8,000 per year as only those most at risk would get the shot.

Hiqa has evaluated changes to the national infant BCG vaccination programme proposed by the National Immunisation and National TB Advisory Committees.