HealthInfo Waitaha Canterbury
BCG (TB) vaccination
Rongoā āraimate
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The BCG vaccination is used to help prevent people getting tuberculosis (TB).
TB is not common in New Zealand, so BCG vaccinations are not routinely given. The Ministry of Health recommends that tamariki (children) under 5 who have a higher risk of catching TB should get the BCG vaccine. The BCG vaccine is free for those tamariki.
Tamariki have a higher risk of catching TB if they:
- will be living with someone who has TB or has had TB
- have a parent, household member or carer who has lived for 6 months or longer in a country with high rates of TB, sometime within the last 5 years
- will be living for 3 months or longer in a country with high rates of TB before they are 5 years old.
Countries with high rates of TB include:
- most of Africa
- much of South America
- Russia and the former Soviet states
- the Indian subcontinent
- China, including Hong Kong
- Taiwan (ROC)
- Southeast Asia (except Singapore)
- some Pacific nations (except the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau and Tonga).
The best time for the vaccination is within a few days of birth. Your tamaiti (child) can be vaccinated any time if they are under 5. But if they are older than 6 months, they need to be tested before being vaccinated. The test is called the Mantoux test. It tests if your tamaiti has been exposed to TB and therefore should not have a BCG vaccination.
Your midwife or general practice team will tell you if your tamaiti needs to be vaccinated. Talk to one of them if you think your tamaiti has a higher risk of catching TB.
If your tamaiti needs a vaccination, your general practice team will refer you a BCG provider. If they need a Mantoux test, the BCG provider will arrange an appointment and lab form.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Ministry of Health – BCG Vaccine: Information for parents
Information about TB and the BCG vaccine, including how to care for your tamaiti after they have had the vaccination.
This information is also available in Māori, Amharic, Arabic, Burmese, Cambodian-Khmer, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Fijian, Hindi, Japanese, Kiribati (Gilbertese), Korean, Persian (Farsi), Pushto Afghani, Somali, Tuvaluan and Vietnamese.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed June 2021.
Sources
See also:
Review key: HIIMM-47872
