We got a letter from the government telling us our daughter should be vaccinated-we refused

[magical thyme]

75. we don't vaccinate the general population against TB in the US

because the vaccine is very unreliable, and the closer to the equator you go, the worse the efficacy rates are.
0-80% efficacy is not a good rate. So it's recommended for very specific, high risk segments of the population (eg, health care workers who treat TB patients), but nobody else.

In a country with a very low rate of infection and therefore low probability of exposure and infection, it makes more sense to rule it out using the relatively low cost and very reliable skin test, rather than ruling it in via more expensive and invasive tests. And aggressively identifying and treating people with latent or active cases.

When I was a kid, we did the skin test routinely. I don't remember when they stopped testing us routinely. As a health care worker, I have the skin test annually and it is on file with the hospital and maybe the state.

My aunt is also a TB survivor, and from the days when there were no antibiotics, only sanitoriums, rest and hope. My father burned all her belongings because he figured she wouldn't be returning.


Glad you made it. So sorry for the emotional trauma...