Amendment to Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of TB in Ireland, 2010
An amendment has been made to both Chapter 7 on BCG vaccination and Chapter 9 on Screening in Special Situations of the Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Ireland, 2010. This amendment relates to the recommendation for BCG vaccination in healthcare workers (HCWs) and is in line with updated advice issued by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee of Ireland in June 2014.
The new recommendation is as follows:
BCG is indicated for unvaccinated healthcare workers (HCWs) aged <35 years who are TST negative and who will have contact with patients or with clinically contaminated materials.
Not all HCWs are at equal risk of TB. A risk assessment should be carried out to see if BCG is indicated for unvaccinated HCWs aged 35 years and older who are TST negative, taking into account their country of origin and the nature of their work. For more details see page 114 of the Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis in Ireland. 2010.
The Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of TB in Ireland, 2010 have been updated to reflect this change-see Chapter 7, Section 7.4, P. 91 –new bullet point 7. See also Chapter 9, Figure 9.1, P. 116 and P. 117.