Two month wait for jab
Catherine Baxter with her baby son Max. Credit: Paul Connor
A DROGHEDA mother has been told her newborn son must wait two months for a potentially live-saving tuberculosis ( TB) jab.
Catherine Baker from Five Oaks gave birth to her son, Max, on October 22nd, but was told the earliest date available for his BCG immunisation, which protects against TB, was December 15th.
'I think the waiting lists in the north east are ridiculous. In the national maternity hospital they are given the jab before they even leave the hospital and that would be the case in many places.
'In Drogheda, I was told that I was lucky to even get an appointment in December because they had put an extra doctor on, otherwise it would have been February. TB is on the rise in Ireland, it has gone up from two cases a year to 1,000 a year.'
Catherine added that when she had her first son three and a half years ago he was given the vaccination within a week.
'Why can't they give the BCG in the hospital if the list is that long? They do the heel prick test, so why not the BCG. It's hard to believe that you can have you baby in October and not get an appointment until December.
'I said it to my GP and he said ideally you shouldn't have the baby in crowded spaces until it has been vaccinated but that's just feasible, people have busy lives and things they need to do, you can't just sit at home waiting for an appointment.'
- FIONA MAGENNIS
