My doctor wants my children to take TB tablets, but they are perfectly well. Why do they need to take them?

It sounds as though your children have been diagnosed with latent TB. This means they have the TB bacteria inside them, but their body is keeping it under control. Children are treated for latent TB, as their under-developed immune systems mean they are more likely to develop TB illness than adults. Treatment for latent TB comprises of some of the same drugs used to treat TB illness, but usually the course will last 3 months, compared to 6 months or longer for TB illness.

Someone with latent TB has the TB bacteria inside them, but their body is keeping it under control and stopping them from becoming unwell. They do not have symptoms and cannot pass the infection on to others. Only around 1 out of every 10 people with latent TB will ever go on to develop the illness. Therefore, most people will never know they have this TB infection and it will never present as a problem in their lives.

Adults with compromised immune systems, such as people living with HIV, will also be given treatment for latent TB as they are also more likely to develop the illness.