Vaccinations
General Information
To keep up to date with the latest news and updates around immunisation and vaccines, visit the Ministry of Health website.
Tuberculosis vaccination
The vaccination against tuberculosis (TB) is called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG).
The current New Zealand policy is that all pregnant women should be assessed by their lead maternity carer during the antenatal period for the risk of TB for their baby. The babies identified as at risk are eligible for the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunisation, which should be given at birth.
Infants eligible for BCG immunisation are those who:
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will be living in a house or family/whānau with a person with either current TB or a past history of TB
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have one or both parents or household members or carers who have within the last 5 years lived for a period of 6 months or longer in a country with a TB rate of ≥ 40 per 100,000
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during their first five years will be living for 3 months or longer in a country with a TB rate of ≥ 40 per 100,000 and are likely to be exposed to those with TB
The list of countries with a TB rate of ≥ 40 per 100,000 can be found at the Ministry of Health website. This list is based on WHO data and is updated annually.
The Ministry of Health have developed a flowchart to assist midwives and other health professionals in the assessment of eligibility for neonatal BCG vaccinations. The Ministry of Health has also developed a BCG vaccine information booklet for parents. To order free copies of these resources, visit the HealthEd website.
For more information about the BCG vaccine, visit the Ministry of Health Tuberculosis information page.
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