Do you need a tuberculosis vaccine in Kentucky? What health officials say about cases here
Kansas is experiencing one of the largest tuberculosis outbreaks in the country, with at least 109 active cases reported in the state last year.
Despite the outbreak there and those reported in other states, public health authorities in Kentucky say there is no cause for Bluegrass State residents to be concerned.
Tuberculosis cases in Kentucky have remained steady in recent years, and there’s no indication at this time the state is experiencing a large outbreak, according to Kendra Steele, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
The same is true at the local level in Fayette County, where health officials have not observed an uptick in cases, according to Laura Collins, a registered nurse with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.
Tuberculosis (TB) can be a complicated and often misunderstood disease because of its latent and active phases, but it’s important to note it is treatable. Here’s what to know about tuberculosis, including where Kentucky stands with the disease, how it spreads and when to seek treatment.
How many tuberculosis cases does Kentucky report each year?
The latest available data is preliminary from 2023 and shows the state reported 75 confirmed cases of tuberculosis, with 12 reported in Fayette County, according to Kentucky Department for Public Health.
Finalized state data from 2022 puts Kentucky at 70 confirmed cases that year, nine of which were reported in Fayette County.
“Due to the duration of TB treatment and the required reporting and review of data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, finalization of data can take up to two years,” Steele, executive director of public affairs for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, wrote in a Jan. 29 statement to the Herald-Leader.
“Final 2023 data and preliminary 2024 data for Kentucky is anticipated to be published Summer 2025,” Steele added.
How does tuberculosis spread?
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis. The pathogen spreads through the air when someone with an active case coughs, talks or sings, according to a CDC fact sheet.
While someone can become infected with tuberculosis in this way, many people won’t get sick right away as their immune system is able to contain the bacteria and keep it under control. This phase, called latent tuberculosis, can play out for years, even decades.
During this period, individuals don’t experience symptoms and can’t infect others. However, without treatment, there’s always the risk the immune system can weaken and the disease can emerge, becoming active tuberculosis.
According to Dr. Nicholas Van Sickels, an infectious disease specialist at UK HealthCare, tuberculosis is highly contagious in certain settings.
“We tend to see infections in situations of crowding, such as in shelters, congregate living facilities, and jails/prisons,” Van Sickels told the Herald-Leader in an emailed statement.
Tuberculosis is not spread by the following, per the CDC:
Sharing toothbrushes
Saliva from kissing
Shaking someone’s hand
Contact with bed linens or toilets
Sharing food, drink or utensils
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
Tuberculosis can survive in the body for years undetected. Symptoms of an active tuberculosis case begin gradually and worsen over a few weeks. According to the Mayo Clinic, these may include:
Coughing, including coughing up blood or mucus
Chest pain
Pained breathing or coughing
Fever
Chills
Night sweats
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Not feeling well in general
“If someone suspects they have TB, they need to call their primary care provider or local health department and talk with them about next steps in evaluating them,” Collins, with the LFCHD, told the Herald-Leader.
Should I get the tuberculosis vaccine?
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is the vaccine for tuberculosis, but according to Collins, it is not routinely given in the U.S.
According to the CDC, this is due to several reasons, including the mixed effectiveness, the low overall risk of infection in the U.S. and the vaccine’s interference with skin tests for tuberculosis.
“There is not an effective or available vaccine against TB, so our best tool is through screening of at-risk groups and prescribing preventative treatment when people test positive,” Van Sickels told the Herald-Leader.
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