The BCG vaccine has risen to the headlines recently as a possible interference in the ravages of Covid19.
Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is part of the routine vaccination schedule in many developing countries where tuberculosis (TB) is highly endemic. BCG does not prevent TB infection but has been shown to decrease the incidence of severe TB disease such as miliary TB and TB meningitis.
Countries that vaccinated their populace in infancy appear to have less cases of Covid19 than countries that did not receive the BCG Vaccine, coincidence
Rhodesian and Zimbabwean children were vaccinated with the BCG as the incidence of Tuberculosis is very high in our country.
It's still a vivid memory and one that lasts a lifetime. Standing in the windy quads in Coghlan and Eveline Schools, I remember clearly lining up for various Government mandatory injections, vaccines and doses. The Polio vaccination was especially memorable as we were all given a sugar cube covered in a bright red dose of polio vaccine. One of the vaccinations we were given was pretty awful, administered either on the upper arm, upper thigh, or on the sole of the foot, it could often become terribly inflamed and painful. Most of the Baby Boomers I know can boast a round vaccination scar somewhere on their bodies, ranging in size from one centimetre in diameter to five centimetres.
Remembering those halcyon school days, I thought of our school uniforms. Coghlan's was a beautiful shade of fine blue percale imprinted with Cecil John Rhodes favourite flower, the Plumbago. Eveline's was a turquoise blue thick cotton polyester mix with a fitted belt, not so comfy on a hot day, but the part of the Eveline uniform that one could never forget was the underwear.
School regulatory dark brown cotton bloomers, massive, elasticised at the waist and the legs and the prefects often called for a 'broekie brigade' where we would be obliged to prove we were wearing the correct monstrosities. To add insult to injury, during the first term of Domestic Science the curriculum insisted that we were to cut and sew a pair of the above mentioned atrocities, cut to the school pattern! All of a meter and a half of fabric was required for each broekie! They were absolutely horrendous!!
On another tack entirely we watched in awe as a young lad called Taylor, celebrated his birthday in John's Creek today. A large convoy of vehicles assembled in the close in front of our house. The vehicles had balloons and signs and lots of kids heads popping through the sun roofs!! Along came no less than five John's Creek police cars, sirens piping, and a massive fire engine which lead the parade around the neighbourhood.
What an unforgettable birthday party parade for one lucky lad in these strange days of social distancing!!