Most vaccines are intramuscular so they do not leave a scar, but almost all Dominicans, and in fact, it can be said that many Latinos, have a mark on their left arm that adorns their arm as a result of fighting the infectious disease of the tuberculosis.
At present, only the classic BCG vaccine is available, which takes its name from the modified bacterium that constitutes it: bacillus Calmette and Guérin. It is a live vaccine, which contains attenuated microbes in the laboratory so that they do not cause harm, but do cause an immune defense response.
According to Mario Esteban Espinal, a Dominican doctor who spoke with this newspaper, more than 1.4 million people die from tuberculosis every year in the world and clarified that in the Dominican Republic BCG is applied at an early age range, from newborn babies up to children under 5 years of age. It is placed on the arm, but also on the muscle of the buttocks.
Why does it leave a mark?
This inoculation leaves a mark on the left arm mainly because it is placed intradermally, that is, just below the surface of the skin without reaching the muscle, but, according to Dr. Máximo Canela, who inoculates in the IV health area , there are also other reasons why it leaves a circular mark.
“This vaccine leaves a lesion in the upper part of the arm because it is intradermal, but also because it depends on the type of needle with which it is applied, before there was not much technology and double-ended needles were used and that causes an injury on the skin”, explained the doctor for this medium.
Accordingly, María Esther Contreras, a pediatrician at the Central Hospital, explained that about 20 minutes after having administered the vaccine is when a red welt begins to form, which in medical terms is called a papule.
He went on to explain that after three weeks it finally heals in an average of 12 weeks to stay in the human’s body for a lifetime.
Why do some have the mark and others don’t?
Despite the fact that more than 80% of Dominicans receive the vaccine, not all heal in the same way.
Dr. María González, a pediatric resident at the Ramón de Lara Hospital, narrated that when the brand is not produced, the cold chain of the vaccine has been lost and it is not 100% effective.
For his part, Dr. Canela also attributed the mark to the decency of the inoculated person: “it depends on whether the person has a family of mulatto or black origin, if so, a keloid would appear and it is normal, these people are more prone to creating the scar”.
Who should get vaccinated?
Vaccination against tuberculosis is usually applied in countries with a low human development index, where the disease is more frequent. According to the 2021 WHO report, BCG is used routinely in newborns in 154 countries, representing the administration of more than 100 million doses each year.
In Western Europe, general vaccination of all children against tuberculosis is not recommended, but only in certain individual circumstances with a high risk of contracting the disease, such as newborns with home exposure and children with a negative tuberculin test with long-term stay forecast. in areas with a high incidence of tuberculosis.
2023-08-19 04:00:00
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