Tens of thousands of babies will be vaccinated as part of a strategy to fight the resurgence of the deadly respiratory disease Tuberculosis (TB) in the UK.
A consultation to end on 13th July has been launched on plans for a mass inoculation of all newborn children within six weeks of birth in London next yea
Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Primary Care Adviser Lynn Young told News Line yesterday: ‘TB was never really completely eradicated but we have inoculation.’
She added, however: ‘There are areas in Britain where there has been a significant rise in the incidence of TB.
‘The RCN has been concerned for a long time over London, Leicester and Bradford.’
TB in the UK was virtually eradicated in the 1970s, but between 1999 and 2009 cases of the disease have risen by 50 per cent in the capital, according to London Health Programmes (LHP), which has produced the draft plan.
As a result, London now has the highest TB rate of any capital city in Western Europe, affecting 43 people in 100,000.
The BCG jab was discontinued for school children in 2005, after it was deemed unnecessary.
LHP hopes its range of proposals, which also includes targeted testing, will help to cut the rate of the respiratory illness by 50 per cent over the next ten years.
Other proposals include improved early identification of people with infectious TB, targeted testing and treatment of latent TB infection, and an awareness and education programme.
Dr John Moore-Gillon, Vice President at the British Lung Foundation and TB specialist, said: ‘People can unknowingly have TB bacteria present in their bodies without being ill, and early detection through screening programmes is also important.
‘Crucially, both the public and health care professionals need to be aware that TB is back, and growing fast.’
An NHS London area health authority spokesperson said: ‘At this stage no decisions have been made. Vaccinating children is just one of the options available to prevent the spread of TB.
‘TB is a serious issue in the capital and it is imperative we make sure our services are as good they can be to identify those at risk, and to give people the care and treatment they need.’
Meanwhile, the Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust Board on Thursday unanimously decided to defer the reactivation of the trust’s Foundation Trust (FT) application until April 2012.
In February it had sought a deferment to August 2011.
The trust’s Alex Hospital in Redditch recently suffered a damning report over its standards of care for the elderly, from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Trust chairman Harry Turner said: ‘It is no secret that we face a significant financial challenge in 2011/12, as well as the challenge of rebuilding the confidence of our patients and the morale of our staff following the recent damaging CQC report.’