Just got the results from the PPD Test given by the Civil Surgeon in the US.

The results came positive. However, it is caused by the BCG Vaccination.

My question is ... Is everyone from the Philippines get a positive result on the PPD test because of BCG vaccination.

The chest x-rays that were taken at Saint Lukes were clean and showed no signs of Tb.

The civil surgeon doctor says everything looks normal in the I-693.

What do you all think?

Only the kids were given PDD skin test at SLEC and most of them, (NOT ALL) did get a positive result... there were very very few who did not get positive result though. Like during the time that we were there, I only saw one kid who was not positive, even all her other siblings were positive.

My 2 kids were positive but thankfully their xray was negative.. again most of those kids who got positive PDD test result had negative xray... but there was one who was positive and she had to undergo the sputum exam (a girl about 12 or 13yr old).

I didn't have a PPD Test when I went to a civil surgeon to have my TD shot in preparation for our AOS application. He was aware that I came from the Philippines but didn't mention about it.

What is a Civil Surgeon?

hi.

I'm not a doctor but i just went to Educational Day recently and one of the topics are PPD / Tb. The Infection Control officer told us that if the PPD is positive it doesn't mean that u have an active disease. It only shows that u have been exposed to a person with Tb.

However, BCG vaccination can also caused the PPD to be positive, so, if u really want to make sure u've not been exposed maybe u can ask ur doctor for a "quantiferon gold" test. It is a whole blood test for use as an aid for diagnosing TB and the test is not affected with prior BCG. http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/QFT.htm

Hope this help.

yup yup! no problem with you..asian people mostly who got a bcg shot when they were babies are expected to get a positive skin test (PPD)...meaning youve been exposed to the bacteria (weather through the vaccine or from an infected person) the sputum exam and xray says if its active.

so for you, i guess no worries!

Same thing happened to me but it wasn't the Civil Surgeon who did the test on me. I had it done at the city health department since it was cheaper and I had the Td shots for free. The result came positive with 15mm redness and swelling. The health dept. wanted me to undergo medication but I explained to them that I had the BCG vaccines as a kid, hence a TB positive. I then went to a CS to get my I-693a done and informed the doctor about the TB skin test. He just looked at my X-ray from St. Lukes, made a notation on a separate form and gave me the sealed envelope. Everything went well for me...

--Mae

It is a doctor authorized by USCIS to perform medical on AOS applicants. K1 holders don't have to have another medical done since our medical at St. Lukes is valid for 12 months. You only need to get all the vaccination records transferred to a I-693a form and can only be done by a CS. The paperwork is sealed in an envelope, which cannot be opened by you. The sealed envelope goes with the AOS packet.

--Mae

Hi,

How much does it cost?

I've no idea about that test, lol since i been here in the US i never had to go to a civil surgeon. i got my 10 years greencard without any test from civil surgeon here in the US. All i have was my copy of the vaccination supplement from the philippines which i submitted during my aos process. Tapos during the interview my medical expired already, pero di naman sila nagtanong at naghanap. Ewan kung bakit, baka sinwerte lang siguro ako. but i did get the vaccination for tetanus kasi sa st. luke di nila binigay sakin yun, dito ko na raw kunin sa US. pumunta lang ako sa local clinic namin dito tapos yun nagpabakuna ako for tetanus, 8 dollars lang bayad.