BCG Vaccine Scar: Causes, and Why If It Does Not Dry Out – The immune system of infants and children under 5 years old, is still weaker than that of older persons. They are very susceptible to contracting the disease. One of them is tuberculosis (TB).
TB transmission is very easy through the air, namely when TB sufferers sneeze, cough, spit or talk, making the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis cause this disease to fly and easily inhaled by people around him, including baby. Especially if at that time the baby was close to the sufferer of TB in an enclosed and poorly ventilated room, the chances of contracting it, are very large.
BCG or Bacillus Calmette Guerin immunization is an effort to prevent tuberculosis. The BCG vaccine itself is an attenuated live TB germ and it is hoped that this can create antibodies in the baby’s body to fight tuberculosis disease.
Prevention, of course, is better than treatment. That is why babies need to get BCG immunizations from an early age.
The injection of BCG is done when the baby is 1-3 months old. BCG injections recommended by WHO are given in the upper right arm and not in the thigh, because in the thigh there is a lot of fat and this makes it difficult to penetrate by the vaccine itself. However, there are still many who give it to the thighs for aesthetic reasons.
BCG injections often cause marks on the baby’s skin.
BCG Vaccine Scar
After injecting the BCG vaccine, it generally occurs boils or festering wounds. This is because the BCG vaccine contains live bacteria, so that its injection will resemble a natural infection, where the body performs an immune response and ulcers are formed.
The location of the appearance of ulcers is at the place of injection of the vaccine. Initially the injection marks will experience redness followed by pus-filled ulcers that will then dry out and cause scarring. If the child has never been exposed to TB germs, then BCG ulcer reactions occur within 2 to 12 weeks (most often between 4 to 6 weeks).
If the ulcer appears less than 1 week, it is most likely that the baby or child has been exposed to TB germs before so further examination is required. This reaction is called accelerated BCG reaction. Naturally, ulcers will heal and leave scars in the form of scar tissue that is flat diameter of 2-6 mm. The scar tissue, usually forms within 3 months.
Causes
Scars from vaccines, appear as a result of the natural healing process of the body. When the skin is injured, as well as from injections, the body immediately responds to repair the injured tissue. This process that then causes the scar.
The BCG vaccine can cause scars, with a protruding and round texture. These marks differ from the results of the chickenpox vaccine, which leaves scars with a texture jutting into the skin.
Scars from the BCG vaccine also have a variety of sizes. Some are only as big as the eraser at the end of the pencil, although some are larger. Sometimes, these scars also itch, due to the natural reaction of the repair of surrounding tissues.
The BCG Vaccine scar does not dry out
But be aware if the wound is getting worse, not dry also in more than 5 days and appear lumps around the armpit or thigh folds. Because it could be a sign of infection caused by negligence in the injection process, or incorrect storage of vaccines, or the administration of vaccines at the wrong dose.
It is also necessary to be aware if the pus and wounds appear within less than 2 weeks after injection. Because it becomes a sign that the baby is already infected with TB bacteria before being vaccinated. Immediately consult a pediatrician to get the right treatment.
Thank you very much for reading BCG Vaccine Scar: Causes, and Why If It Does Not Dry Out, hopefully useful.
