Hi. I work in healthcare and have to get a TB skin test at least every year. This past year, I actually had 4 due to intervewing and starting 2 new part time jobs. I was wondering if this test has thimerosol in it? How harmful is it since the test in just under the skin? I actually found out that I am allergic to thimerosol from problems with certain contact solutions years ago. Can I refuse this test? If I do refuse it, I may be required to have a chest x-ray. Which would be less harmful? the x-rays or the thimerosol?
Thanks,
chigirl

I am not sure if this is all correct, in other words, if the goverment is really telling us the truth about Thimerosal, but I found this website:
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm
and it doesn't list TB test as having Thimerosal in it, at least not that I can see. Now that I've looked at it though, it scares me thinking about the Tetanus shot that I had awhile back, and my daughter had one recently. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

There IS Thimerosal in the TetanusToxoid. I went to the link you posted and clicked on the "Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed USP" name, which took me to a material safety data sheet explaining how the tetanus vaccine is made.

If you read through the list, you'll see that Aluminum, Formaldehyde, and Thimerosal are all in the final vaccine. They indicate that each 5ml dose contains (supposedly not more than) 0.25mg of aluminum and 0.02% (or perhaps less) of formaldehyde. However, I'm not sure how the percentage of formaldehyde is calculated so I don't know how much formaldehyde is actually contained in the final solution.

You'll also read that Thimerosal is used as a preservative in the final solution. In fact, near the end of the sheet under Contraindications, it reads "Hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine, including Thimerosal, a mercury derivative, is a contraindication for further use of the vaccine."

Also, animals studies indicates that the combination of aluminum and mercury is much more toxic than either substance alone.

It looks like it is in the actual vaccine, but not sure if it is in the TB skin test for TB. This just tests whether you have been exposed to TB or not. I small amount of fluid in inserted under the skin. If it swells up you have been exposed to TB or have been vaccinated. It is called PPD, but not sure what that stands for.
Thanks,
chigirl

PPD stands for purified protein derivative. I work in healthcare as well and have to have this annual test done. Over the last few years I have a reaction to the PPD serum itself, not a postive TB reaction. No one has been able to explain this to me as to what it is I am reacting to in the serum, why I am reacting to it, or what to do about it. My arm gets a little swollen, turns very red and sometimes bruises up, with a lot of itching and discomfort. This generally lasts about 2 weeks after having the original PPD done. The first time this happened (about 3 years ago)I ended up going to see the ER physician at my facility and he said it was a serum reaction, not TB; the OR nurse (who administered it) said this is getting to be a more common thing. I haven't yet found any real helpful information on it.