In 2005 the BCG vaccinations "TB Jabs" were scrapped. Before then, all children aged 11-14 were routinely offered the vaccination. It was stopped as a cost cutting exercise, 'experts' believed that the jab was 'pointless for most children' who were at a low risk of the disease. 

'High risk groups' are said to be people from poorer backgrounds, ethnic minorities, homeless people, people who are HIV positive and drug users. "Experts believe if you are not in one of the high risk groups, your chances of getting TB are one in 100,000"

A couple of years ago I was working in a wealthy area of South Manchester, and a colleague unfortunately contracted pulmonary TB. Pulmonary (lung) and throat Tuberculosis are the only contagious types, it is spread by coughs, sneezes and talking. I immediately went to my GP to speak about the risk, to which I was laughed at and told there wouldn't be any chance I would get it. The infection is a slow growing and complex bug, and takes at least 3 months to grow in the body. Within 5 months of my colleague being diagnosed, I began to feel similar symptoms. It then took another 6 months after this for me to be hospitalised, misdiagnosed and have over 2 litres of fluid drained from my lung, it then took another 2 months after that for me to be told I had TB in the lining of my lung which had also spread via my blood vessels to the T12 vertebra in my spine.  

In 2005, the then chair of the British Thoracic Society Dr John Moore-Gillon said that "It is vital that every single penny of the funds freed up from abolition of universal BCG vaccination is diverted directly into other aspects of TB control, such as our network of TB nurses". Speaking from my own personal experience, there was a huge difference between the standard of care and infection control between the Cheshire TB Nurses and the Merseyside TB Nurses - I will be forever thankful to the Merseyside TB team, particularly my nurse Chris. There needs to be more of an awareness of the infection and how crucial it is to get an early diagnosis, as I was continually turned away from Goyt Valley Medical Practice and Stepping Hill Hospital.

The vaccine offered protection from the infection for 15 years, and while it did not guarantee complete protection, it certainly made the chances of contracting it less. 

The vaccine is 70-80% effective against the most severe forms of TB, such as TB meningitis in children. It is less effective in preventing respiratory disease, which is the more common form of TB in adults. (https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/bcg-tuberculosis-tb-vaccine/#how-effective-is-bcg-vaccination

Both my colleague and myself fell into the school years who did not get the vaccine, if we would have, it would have reduced chances in getting it. Perhaps we would not have contracted it at all.

Thankfully, the course of treatment I had has cured the infection. I will have lasting damage to my lung but I'm very lucky I have had incredible treatment from the Thoracic department at Aintree Hospital.

From the mid-80s, the UK experienced a two decade long rise in cases. It is only in the last few years that the UK has begun to match the global trend for falling rates of TB. I have created this petition as I do not wish what I went through upon anybody. I want the UK rates of cases to fall significantly. I want something to change; granted it needs to be in a cost effective way, but I'm determined to make a difference. 

Stats and quotes from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4655355.stm https://www.tbalert.org