You may find yourself in a situation where you are being asked to take a TB test. It is required for many places of employment, including working with children, and also for being a foster parent. It’s important you are aware of the potential risks and side effects of such a procedure, because even though it’s a test, it’s technically an injection of material.

True for many other medical procedures, there is a risk of a serious adverse event, and there is also a paucity of medical literature on the long term safety (or lack there of) of the procedure.

While we may have much in terms of anecdotal data, ie. people saying “I took the test and I was fine” as well as others saying “I took the test and I felt sick for weeks”–no one can accurately predict how you will respond, and feel from the “test.”

That’s part of the nuance of being genetically and immunologically distinct.

Shared from Cassandra Dunn:

I would like to share some information about the TB Skin Test, or PPD aka TST. Nobody is getting an informed consent. As a nurse for over 20 years and a previous CMS (federal arm of healthcare) medical investigator, this is nothing but mass poisoning for profit on a global scale:

First off, the PPD is an injection. The nicely named “test” is a little misleading. It is an injection of biologicals and toxins including Tween 80 and Phenol.

Both accumulate in the body and cross the blood brain barrier. They are both considered NEURO TOXINS.

Phenol effects reproductive organs, linked to infertility and also causing low birth weight and increased risk for miscarriage. Phenol was used in the Nazi concentration camps as a means to kill with a simple one gram injection of phenol. [It was given intravenously]

Tween 80 is another toxin that effects reproductive organs and female cycle. “Injected detergents trespass on an immune process that holds life and death control over cells.

The PPD is not a reliable means to diagnose exposure to Tuberculosis. There are false positives and false negatives.

There are NO long term studies with the PPD, therefore is experimental. No carcinogenic or mutagenic evaluations have been performed, nor have there been any studies regarding effect on fertility. (therefore, with this lack of evaluations, they cannot be held accountable for PPD linked to cancers, infertility or birth defects because they don’t have a study proving this,,, sneaky eh!)

Years ago I started declining ANY and ALL injections (Vaccines and TB Skin Tests) and also not participating in injecting staff or patients with any PPD or vaccine based on ethical beliefs (no one is getting a true informed consent), a sort of medical “conscientious objector”. As you can see from the CDC Fact Sheet on TB, they don’t tell you any of the above.

So you are basically getting injected with toxins and biologicals (and contaminants) for a very unreliable screening / test for an infection that has 3 cases per 100k people (per CDC). The mfg of this test is making a lot of $$$. Approx $10 per test, Sanofi Pasteur makes. Not sure if they are the only manufacturer of the PPD, but that is a LOT OF MONEY testing people across the globe!

Ask (rather DEMAND) for the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Test as an alternative to the skin test. This lab test requires a single blood draw.

Link to the CDC TB Skin Test Fact Sheet: HERE.

Link to the Tubersol product insert: HERE.

More information about the Tuberculin Skin Test

PPD stands for purified protein derivative.

The test is also called the Mantoux tuberculin skin test (TST).

The TST is an intradermal injection. (Just under the skin)

Another alternative to the test is a chest X-ray.

From the package inert:

TUBERSOL contains:

• Purified protein derivative of M. tuberculosis     5 TU per 0.1 mL
• Polysorbate 80                                                           0.0006%
• Phenol                                                                          0.22% to 0.35% w/v

…in sterile isotonic phosphate buffered saline.

Contraindications

• Persons who have had a severe reaction (e.g., necrosis, blistering, anaphylactic shock or ulcerations) to a previous TST.
• Persons with documented active tuberculosis or a clear history of treatment for TB infection or disease.
• Persons with extensive burns or eczema.

Warnings

Hypersensitivity-

Allergic reactions may occur following the use of TUBERSOL even in persons with no prior history of hypersensitivity to the product components.

Syncope-

Syncope (fainting) can occur in association with administration of injectable medicines, including TUBERSOL. Procedures should be in place to avoid falling injury and to restore cerebral perfusion following syncope.

Carcinogenicity, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

TUBERSOL has not been evaluated for its carcinogenic or mutagenic potentials or impairment of fertility.

Pregnancy

Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with TUBERSOL. It is also not known whether TUBERSOL can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. TUBERSOL should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether TUBERSOL is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when TUBERSOL is administered to a nursing woman.

Adverse Reactions

General disorders and administration site conditions

• Injection site pain, injection site pruritus and injection site discomfort.
• Injection site erythema or injection site rash (without induration) occurring within 12 hours of testing. These reactions do not indicate TB infection.
• Injection site hemorrhage and injection site hematoma up to three days after the administration of the test.
• Injection site vesicles, injection site ulcer or injection site necrosis in highly sensitive persons.
• Injection site scar as a result of strongly positive reactions.
• Pyrexia

Immune system disorders

• Hypersensitivity, including anaphylaxis/anaphylactic reactions, angioedema, urticaria

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders

• Stridor, dyspnea

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders

• Rash, generalized rash

Nervous system disorders

• Presyncope, syncope (including syncope associated with tonic-clonic movements and other seizure-like activity) sometimes resulting in transient loss of consciousness with injury.

Reporting of Adverse Events

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact the Pharmacovigilance Department, Sanofi Pasteur Inc., Discovery Drive, Swiftwater, PA 18370 or call 1-800-822-2463 (1-800- VACCINE) or Food and Drug Administration (FDA) MEDWATCH Program at 1-800-332-1088 and www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Final Thoughts

I would love to hear from others who have had this test and if they noticed anything unusual after. It may partially come down to whether you have prior exposure to either tuberculosis, or sensitivity to phenol or polysorbate 80. In persons with history of eczema and or other skin related auto-immune disorders, or even detoxification impairment, I would imagine they would also be more sensitive.

I had this test done in the past year, and while I quickly searched for information about the injection prior I didn’t find much information on it. I also didn’t know there were alternatives. I tepidly watched the woman inject the material under my skin. I asked her what brand it was and what it contained, and she gave me the typical “shock” look that I would be interested in what is being injected into my body. There needs to be some kind of paradigm shift, where health care workers understand that we have a genuine investment in our bodies, and what goes into it, and that should not come as a surprise! This to me is symptomatic of the disconnection humans have from nature in general, that we are so disconnected from our food sources, and what it means to be healthy, and what is natural, and unnatural.

Please share your own experience–you matter (even if it was no big whoop).