The child got a swelling after getting BCG

Many doctors recommend that children be given the BCG vaccine as early as possible because it can protect children's immune system and act as a life-saving umbrella. However, some children will have adverse reactions after receiving the BCG vaccine, causing panic among parents. Some people even think that they have been injected with fake vaccines and do not know how to solve this problem, so they can only seek help from others for consultation. So, what is the reason for a child to have a swelling after getting BCG?

1. Contraindications:

(1) Patients with tuberculosis, acute infectious diseases, nephritis, heart disease, immunodeficiency, eczema or skin diseases.

(2) Patients with acute illness, burns, recovery period (between the end of illness and recovery of health), recent smallpox vaccination, and urinary tract infection.

(3) Suppression of immune response due to the use of the following drugs or treatments: alkylating agents, antimetabolites, radiotherapy, steroids.

(4) Reduced immune response due to the following diseases: systemic malignancies, HIV infection, interferon-γ receptor deficiency, leukemia, lymphoma.

(5) BCG should not be used for fever caused by infectious diseases or fever of unknown cause.

(6) Infants or children with weakened immunity.

2. Taboo groups:

1. Newborns who are born prematurely, have difficult labor, or have obvious congenital malformations.

2. Children with acute infectious diseases such as fever and diarrhea.

3. Patients with chronic diseases of the heart, lung, kidney, severe skin diseases, allergic skin diseases, nervous system diseases, and those who have allergic reactions to vaccinations.

In addition, patients with strong positive tuberculin reaction and asthma should use it with caution.

3. Possible adverse reactions:

Local redness, swelling, infiltration, suppuration and small ulcers will appear about 2 weeks after vaccination. If the condition is severe, appropriate treatment should be taken. The following reactions may occasionally occur during vaccination:

(1) Lymph node inflammation: About 1-2 months after vaccination, the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits, and above and below the clavicle become enlarged (greater than 1.0 cm). In cases where the reaction is too strong, the lymph nodes will be obviously swollen, and abscesses or ulcers may form, or there may be small pus scars at the vaccination site. The reaction to intradermal injection is often stronger than that to the scratch method. In addition, those who have a positive old tuberculin (OT) test may also have a stronger reaction after vaccination.

(2) Lupus-like reaction: related to the residual virulence of the tuberculosis strain.

(3) Scars: Scars are formed due to abundant granulation tissue and sometimes appear as keloids. They are more common in those who receive direct skin scratch vaccination without undergoing OT testing.