where can i get a BCG (tuberculous inoculation).  I am a resident of
California, USA.  Who do I see at site etc.  I know I cannot get a
shot in the USA, Brazil authorities had a fit because I am an adult. 
I can travel worldwide if necessary.

Hi Michael!

This is an interesting question, and I've found out a good bit about
your dilemma. I began by calling my local public health office. They
told me that the BCG innoculation is not available in this country.
According to the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, it is not
effective. My source told me that BCG is available widely in Africa
and parts of Europe.

The California Department of Health Services has plenty of good
information at

California Department of Health Services 
http://www.dhs.cahwnet.gov/

If you click on the search button at the top of this homepage and do a
search on "tuberculosis" you'll find more than 200 references.

I also found the following information on this website:

Tuberculosis Control Branch
2151 Berkeley Way Room 608
Berkeley, CA, 94704
Phone: 510.540.2973
Fax: 510.540.2062

I called and talked to Trinity, who was very helpful. Acording to
Trinity, BCG is only used in this country in the treatment of bladder
cancer to generate antibodies. It is not used here because the
effectiveness of the innoculation varies widely from 0 to 80%. In
addition, it is known not to prevent contraction of the disease, but
only to help in the progression of the disease into full-blown TB. My
contact strongly suggested that if you are concerned about TB, you go
into any health clinic for a skin test.

In summary, as mentioned by qprfan-ga below, your best bet may be to
travel to England where it is widely available. Go into any physician
or public health center and request the innoculation. If for some
reason this is inconvenient, please respond with a question
clarification and I will come up with specific contact information for
you for South Africa.

Hope this helps, and thanks!

Prof

In the UK BCG innoculations are free. I am unsure as to whether you'd
be able to travel to the UK without the injection, but I don't think
it would be a major problem. Once here the injection is available on
the NHS (National Health Service) or by visiting a GP. All students in
the UK get the injection mandatorily and there-after get a booster
every 10 years.

With the BCG in the UK you get a tester jab first, which is basically
a routine injection which leaves 5-pin-pricks. What this does is to
check your system as to whether you actually need to have the
injection. It leaves five bumps which will raise of sink within a
week, also changing colour, indicating whether you need the injection
or not. Some people luckily naturally have the antibodies.

Atlhough BCG is widely used, its use is not very accepted. First, it
is effective 50% to prevent meningitis by TB. It has not been proved
useful for preventing pulmonar TB. It is given (in some countries)
rutinely in hospitals to newborns to give them some protection against
meningitis. Usually these hospitals serve a TB endemic area. It is
very difficult for a healthy adult to acquire meningeal TB.
Disadvantes of BCG include allergic reactions and positive testing for
the PPD (skin test). If you live in a non-TB area, you're best keeping
your skin test negative, as you can get fast treatment if it becomes
positive. (and not start to speculate wheter you re positive because
of BCG or because you acquired TB).