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What if I have been vaccinated with BCG?

BCG is a vaccine for TB. This vaccine is not used in the United States, but it is often given to infants and small children in other countries where TB is common. BCG vaccine does not always protect people from TB. History of BCG vaccination is not a contraindication to TB skin testing; a positive result is highly indicative of TB infection in a person who has received BCG. If you were recently (5 yrs) vaccinated with BCG, you may have a positive reaction to a TB skin test. This reaction may be due to the BCG vaccine itself or to latent TB infection. But your positive reaction probably means that you have latent TB infection if:

• you recently spent time with a person who has TB disease
• you are from an area of the world where TB disease is very common (most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia)
• you spend time where TB is common (homeless shelters, drug-treatment centers, health care clinics, jails, prisons)

For more information on BCG Vaccination, please see BCG Fact Sheet from CDC (pdf).