Patient's question:
I am 31 years old and female. I noticed that people from my parents' generation often have scars on their left arms, which are also called "flower" scars. They are likely for preventing tuberculosis. Moreover, my peers also have these "flower" scars on their left arms. I know that newborns are now required to receive the BCG vaccine. However, I asked my parents why I don't have a scar on my arm. My mother said I didn't get the vaccine when I was a child. My grandfather is a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and he didn't allow me to get the vaccine. Doctor, I would like to ask if I still need to get a booster shot now?Doctor's answer:
According to your description, I speculate that what you are referring to is the BCG vaccine for the prevention of tuberculosis in newborns. If you now wish to have the BCG vaccine administered, you need to have a tuberculin test first. If the result is negative, you can then have the vaccine. If the tuberculin test is weakly positive, it indicates that you have been exposed to tuberculosis and have some level of immunity, so vaccination is not necessary. If the test is strongly positive, it suggests that you have active tuberculosis and should consider treatment.