3,500 vaccinated kids recalled over doc (2)

(ANSA) - Trieste, September 27 - Trieste's university health agency on Tuesday recalled 3,490 children vaccinated by a paediatrician who turned out to have TB. The children will be tested to see if they came into contract with the tuberculosis germ, agency chief Nicola Delli Quadri said. The paediatrician worked in three parts of Trieste and is now in the northeastern city's Maggiore hospital, where her condition is comfortable, he said. The children who will be tested are aged 0-6 years. It will take between two months and two and a half months to test them all. Delli Quadri said the chances any of them caught TB are very low since they came into contact with the doctor for a few minutes, much shorter than the average time needed to contract the disease which is eight hours at a metre's distance.
    As well as the six wards where the tests will be administered, the local health agency has set up a freephone number (800-991170), active from 08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday. It has also set up links to the Burlo Garofalo children's hospital and other Trieste medical resources.