Tuberculosis or TB is known as a cough with phlegm that lasts a long time, which is about 21 days. Not only that, cough followed by fever, cold sweats at night, weakness, and decreased appetite. Is the BCG vaccination sufficient for prevention?
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ON At the end of June 2022, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated the urgency of TB disease control when he met with Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin in the framework of the G20. In a release uploaded to the WHO’s official website, Tedros hopes that there will be better prevention related to tuberculosis.
In addition to a healthy lifestyle, TB prevention can be done with the BCG (Bacillus Calmette–Guérin) vaccination. The impact is said to be able to prevent pulmonary TB disease, especially extrapulmonary TB (outside the lung tissue) in children, such as TB meningitis and miliary TB disease.
According to WHO data, more than 4,100 people lose their lives due to TB every day. Nearly 28,000 people fell ill with this preventable and curable disease. Tedros also encourages local production of BCG vaccine to continue to grow as an effort to prevent its spread.
In general, the BCG vaccine is given to infants before the age of 3 months. But, adults can also get it, you know. Doctor Rita Hapsari Meta SpP FAPSR said the BCG vaccine can still be accepted by children up to adults aged 16-35 years.
Until now, BCG vaccine is not recommended giving a booster. “So, one gift is enough in a lifetime. But, it can also be more than once under certain conditions, “he added. Those who have a high risk of exposure to TB in the workplace may receive the BCG booster vaccine. For example, medical personnel who often handle health cases related to tuberculosis.
The BCG vaccine contains attenuated Mycobacterium bovis. The goal is to stimulate the human immune system to form immunity against TB caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. “In several studies, antibodies formed from the reaction to the BCG vaccine last 10 to 25 years,” said Dr. Wira Widjaya Lindarto MkedKlin SpMK.
Therefore, the BCG vaccine generally does not need a booster. In contrast to other types of vaccines where the antibodies formed are less durable. “Therefore, a booster is needed in several other types of vaccines so that there is a stimulus for the formation of antibodies again,” he explained.
Rita said an initial examination needs to be carried out for adults who will receive the vaccine. Some of the conditions are that they have never received the BCG vaccine and have never had a history of TB. These two conditions indicate that the vaccine recipient already has antibodies so there is no need to be vaccinated.
“Patients with HIV, white blood cell cancer, and undergoing immunosuppressive treatment have not been able to get the BCG vaccine,” added the lung specialist at the National Hospital. He also does not recommend for prospective vaccine recipients who have experienced severe allergies to any of the substances used.
These factors make the formation of antibodies from the BCG vaccine less than optimal. For example, in HIV patients there are parts of the body that function to activate natural immunity through T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes. “We call it CD4 as the activator. Now, in HIV patients, the CD4 levels have dropped dramatically,” explained Wira. As a result, T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes cannot function as immunity and antibodies as they should.
The age limit for vaccine administration is closely related to the durability of vaccine-induced antibodies. “If the booster is given at the age of over 30 years, it is hoped that the antibodies formed can last up to 60-70 years,” he explained. However, it should be noted that vaccination at the age of more than 50 years may not be optimal. Wira added that the immune system at the age of 50 years and over begins to decline. Antibody formation also decreases.
TUBERCULOSIS FACTS
MYTHS: Diseases of middle and lower economic society.
FACT: Everyone has risks. Susceptibility to TB is influenced by weak immunity, lack of nutrition, active smoking, living in a humid environment and not exposed to sunlight, and close contact with TB sufferers for a long time.
MYTHS: Can’t live with the healthy one.
FACT: Yes, but good precautions need to be taken. Among them, applying good coughing and sneezing etiquette, not spitting or excreting phlegm carelessly, and staying in a place with sufficient sunlight and good ventilation.
WATCH OUT!
Some literature states that men are 6x more likely to get TB than women. This is influenced by the number of active smokers who are more male, causing cell damage in the body due to substances contained in cigarettes.
The older you get, the higher your risk of contracting TB disease. This is because the body’s immune system decreases and degenerative diseases that make it easy to get TB infection increase.
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