While the UK gears itself in its usual haphazard way for influenza and bird flu, what thought is it giving to the threat of a TB outbreak?
Health officials raised the alert yesterday over a new drug-resistant and more deadly form of tuberculosis, saying the disease now posed a more serious threat to Europe than at any time since the Second World War.
TB is described as the world’s deadliest curable illness and is spread 
by coughing and sneezing. There are 9 million new cases around the world each year, resulting in 2 million deaths, and it has taken a strong hold in and around the EU’s borders, particularly in former Soviet countries. There were 7,167 cases reported in the UK in 2004, a 5% increase of 6,837 cases in 2003. The 2005 figures will be published in December, and are certain to soar again.
Despite TB cases rising steadily over recent years, with one of the contributory factors being the insurgence of migratory workers from Eastern Europe, this Government decided in its wisdom to stop giving TB vaccinations to young teenagers in our schools last year.
My youngest son was due to have had then, but I decided I didn’t want him to be at risk and he had the vaccination at a private medical centre. My reason was that TB has been prevalent in my village, I know a couple of families who suffered from it in the last 10 years. Our area is full of migrant workers and it would be too easy to stand next to an infected person who was coughing and sneezing. Other parents were not aware this vaccine had been stopped, obviously another penny-pinching exercise from the Government.
But it’s not just rural areas that are affected, London had the the highest numbers, 44% of the total increase in reported cases were based in the capital. In London it has been on the rise for about a decade and rates in some areas such as Newham are as high as 100 per 100,000. The foreign-born born population made up 70% of the latest reported cases.
I met someone yesterday who remembered TB being prevalent in South Wales, and said he feared it more than bird flu. Another person told me how his mother died from it too. There are plenty of warning signs here for the Government, can we be confident that our country has adequate specialised treatment centres with isolation facilities to cope with an outbreak? Or have they been victims of cutbacks too?
I had heard TB was on the increase exponentially but I had no idea the government had stopped giving out vaccinations! Words fail me.
Martine, a lot of people don’t know. Maybe I will raise this with Andrew Lansley tomorrow if I get the chance.
I agree, Ellee; diseases like TB are likely to increase with people from Eastern Europe coming in. There is a real danger that the government are doing nothing about.
They’re doing nothing about it because they prefer to tiptoe around the issue. It clearly is on the rise and it’s on the rise because of unfettered immigration. New Labour won’t say it and I doubt whether the Tories would have the courage to say it. But for the sake of all communities in the UK someone will have to speak out sooner or later.
Daily Pundit, I thought it was common knowledge. I remember interviewing a young student from Cardiff University who was struck with TB and was unable to complete her course, she was severely ill for a very long period. This was about 6 years ago and she was told then that it was most likely contracted from an overseas student who came from a country with poor hygiene.
thanks Ellee, I will make a note to get my son immunised thanks to this.
For some of the more drug resistant strains of TB there is only one antibiotic any more. And that costs about 50 U.S. per pill. The pharmaceutical industry stopped developing new antibiotics as they did not expect these multi-drug resistant strains of various bacteria to come back. Sad situation, and I thought that the UK govt would actually plan for the eventuality of TB spread. Appears they haven’t…
Cityslicker, glad to hear it, the vaccination was done in Year 9, aged 12-13.
Thanks for this, Ellee. My son had his vaccination at school in Feb04 (year 11). Just checked with my daughter’s school – she’s in year 9 – and they’ve confirmed that it’s no longer done. I live in South East Wales. It seems I’ll have to sort out private immunisation and tell all those I know with teenagers.
RW
PS. I’ve been lurking for some time and always find your blog has something relevant and interesting to read.
Remote Worker, I’m so pleased you’ve been lurking around my site and have now commented. It amazes me how few people know about this. I also have an elder son who had his TB vaccination in school a couple of years ago. At first, my younger son was relieved to think he would escape the needle, having heard a couple of cases of teenagers fainting, but he overcame his fear of needles and is relieved he had it, having heard about our local cases.