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Tuberculosis Control Branch

Child playing with parent

TB and Childrenā€‹ā€‹

ā€‹ā€‹babyRisk

If babies and young children are exposed to TB germs, they are more likely to get sick compared to adults. Because their immune system is not strong, they are at high risk for infection with TB germs.

Read more at CDC Tuberculosis in Children webpage

ā€‹ā€‹TB_ScreeningTB Screening

Before your child gets the TB test, your doctor may ask you some questions about your medical history as well as your childā€™s medical history to determine if he or she is at risk for TB. If your child is enrolled in school, the school may have additional requirements. Check with the school and with your doctor about other requirements.

TreatmentTesting

The TB blood test is the recommended test for children over the age of two. For TB testing of younger children, consult with your doctor.

Treatmentā€‹ā€‹Treatment

It is important to stop TB germs before they make your child sick.
Similar to getting vaccines that prevents illness, treating TB infection with medication prevents your child from getting very sick with TB disease. ā€‹ ā€‹ā€‹ 

BCG_VaccineBCG Vaccine

The BCG vaccine is given in some countries where TB is common to protect young children from getting sick with TB.

The BCG vaccine may not protect children from getting TB when they get older. They could still be exposed to TB germs and get sick.   ā€‹ā€‹ā€‹

Read more at CDC Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Vaccine for Tuberculosis webpageā€‹

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