What should you know about BCG and hepatitis B vaccine?

BCG is a live attenuated vaccine used mainly to reduce the risk of serious tuberculosis, especially in children who may be exposed to TB. It is not the same as hepatitis B vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccination trains the immune system to recognise hepatitis B virus, which can affect the liver. A person can need one vaccine, both vaccines, or neither, depending on local recommendations and individual circumstances.

Vaccination does not diagnose an existing infection. Hepatitis B may cause fatigue or dark urine, but some people have no symptoms. If infection is a concern, a clinician may discuss testing and a liver function test.

Bring your vaccination record to an appointment and tell the clinician about previous doses, pregnancy, immune-system conditions, serious allergies, and medicines that affect immunity. Do not arrange a live vaccine without checking first if the recipient has significant immune suppression. After vaccination, follow the clinic’s wound-care or observation advice and keep the record for future appointments. Ask which schedule applies rather than assuming that a missed dose means the series must restart.

Seek urgent medical help for trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, collapse, or rapidly spreading hives after any vaccine. Contact a clinician promptly if a fever, injection-site reaction, or wound becomes severe or continues to worsen. If you develop yellowing of the skin, dark urine, or unusual fatigue, arrange medical assessment because these symptoms can have several causes and are not a way to confirm hepatitis B.

Ask whether BCG or hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for you, which doses are recorded, what protection each vaccine provides, and whether testing is needed before or after vaccination.