People with active TB or those who are recovering
- If you have had or are recovering from TB and have persistent symptoms of lung disease, you may be at risk for developing more severe symptoms if you acquire a respiratory infection, including COVID-19. Keep taking your TB treatment as prescribed. There is no clear evidence that active TB disease puts you at increased risk of COVID-19 infection, but we do know that people have worse health and treatment outcomes if their TB treatment is stopped or interrupted.
- If you have fully recovered from TB and do not have any other medical conditions that could put you at risk for severe outcomes of COVID-19, then your risk may be the same as the general population of similar age.
- It is recommended that people who have had TB, especially those who required lung surgery or have post-TB lung disease closely follow public health recommendations. Other important steps to support good lung health and prevent poor outcomes include stopping tobacco, vaping, or e-cigarette use.
People with latent TB infection
Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that latent TB infection (LTBI) alone puts you at higher risk of getting COVID-19. If you are generally in good health, it is unlikely that LTBI influences the symptoms associated with COVID-19.
TB medication and COVID-19
The medications used to treat TB disease and TB infection are not used to treat COVID-19 patients. If you are on TB medication you should continue to take your medication as prescribed and continue with appointments, tests and medication refills as scheduled by your health care provider.
COVID-19 Vaccine and TB Disease or Latent TB Infection Treatment
Nearly everyone will be able to safely receive the COVID-19 vaccine, although a very small number of people may need to avoid vaccination due to severe allergies to parts of the vaccine.
- If you are taking treatment for TB disease or latent TB infection, it is safe to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when it is offered to you.
- If you are not tolerating your TB treatment, you should wait until your treatment is stable before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. It is not a safety concern, but it is important to separate the side effects of your TB treatment from a potential side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.
- At this time, TB Services is not providing the COVID-19 vaccine to patients.
- BC’s COVID-19 Immunization Plan will happen in four phases. The focus at first is to protect those most likely to experience severe illness. Find more information about getting a COVID-19 vaccine and other health considerations on our COVID-19 vaccine page.