Tuberculosis Clinic

We screen, diagnose and provide treatment for TB at our clinics in New Westminster and Vancouver

About Us

Our lower mainland TB clinics are located in New Westminster and Vancouver. We provide TB testing and follow-up care to those with latent TB infection or active TB disease.

Click here to read about COVID-19 & TB

TB screening for work or school

The BCCDC TB clinic in New Westminster and Vancouver are one option for completing TB screening for school, work or volunteering.
The BCCDC TB Clinics have limited capacity to schedule appointments for TB screening related to school, work or volunteering.
In BC, it is best to contact your local health unit and ask about TB skin testing in your area. Travel clinics, some pharmacies and doctor's offices provide TB skin tests.
For many people TB skin tests are free, but it depends on the reason for the test.
There is often a charge (cost) for TB skins tests for school, work or volunteering.

Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine

The BCCDC TB clinics do not provide TB immunization and the BCCDC Pharmacy does not supply the BCG vaccine.
If you need this vaccine for a country you are travelling to, arrange to receive it in that region.
If you are a Canadian doctor wanting to access the BCG vaccine, contact Health Canada's Special Access Programme.

Find us

New Westminster clinic

100 – 237 Columbia Street E
New Westminster, BC V3L 3W4

Phone 604-707-2698 Fax 604-707-2694

Hours

Mon. Tues. Wed. Fri. 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Thurs. 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

2023 Clinic Holiday Closures

Feb. 20, Apr. 7 & 10

May 22, Jul. 3, Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 9, Nov. 13

Dec. 25 & 26

Jan. 1, 2024

Getting here

Location & directions

Transit

The New Westminster TB clinic is within walking distance of Sapperton Station on the Expo Line (Skytrain). Use TransLink to plan your trip by transit.

Parking

Royal Columbian Hospital is within one block of the clinic and this area can be busy.

Some street parking is available in the area but it may be limited.
Royal City Medical Centre - Impark Lot #1946 at 250 Keary Street, New Westminster. The surface lot is located on the southeast corner of East Columbia Street and Keary Street. Find the hours and costs at impark.com/
Brewery District Bldg 1 - Lot #9157 at 287 Nelson's Court, New Westminster. Underground parking located between East Columbia Street and Nelson's Court; close to Save On Foods. Find the hours and costs at advancedparking.com/

Vancouver clinic

BC Centre for Disease Control
655 West 12th Avenue
Vancouver BC V5Z 4R4

Phone 604-707-2692 Fax 604-707-2690

Hours

Mon. Tues. Wed. Fri. 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Thurs. 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

2023 Clinic Holiday Closures

Feb. 20, Apr. 7 & 10

May 22, Jul. 3, Aug. 7, Sept. 4, Oct. 9, Nov. 13

Dec. 25 & 26

Jan. 1, 2024

Getting here

Location & directions

Transit

The BCCDC is within walking distance of the Broadway-City Hall station on the Canada Line (Skytrain). Also, the 99 (B-Line) bus stops at Broadway and Cambie Street. Use TransLink to plan your trip by transit.

Parking

Some street parking is available in the area but it is limited.
The BCCDC parkade with Impark is available under the building. Enter the parkade from the alley behind the BCCDC, off of Ash Street or Heather Street. Hours and costs.
City Square shopping centre parkade is an underground parkade across the street from the BCCDC. Enter off Cambie Street, just before 12th Avenue or on Ash Street, just north of the intersection of Ash Street and 12th Avenue. Hours and costs.

Prepare

Prepare for your Clinic Visit

Here are some ways you can make sure you're prepared for a visit to the BCCDC TB clinics or follow-up appointments.

Chest x-ray

If you need to get a chest x-ray as part of your TB screening, we have a list of chest x-ray locations in the Lower Mainland. Remember to bring your BC Services card (carecard) and chest-ray requisition (paper) that the TB clinic gave you. The list of locations and information provided may change.

IGRA TB Blood Test

If the TB clinic ordered an IGRA (TB blood test) as part of your TB screening; we have a list of IGRA testing locations in the lower mainland. Remember to bring your BC Services card (carecard) and the test requisition paper that the TB clinic gave you. The list of locations and information provided may change.

Routine blood work

If the TB clinic ordered routine blood work or testing, your local hospital may have outpatient lab testing. In the lower mainland, look for a Life Labs location near you. Remember to bring the test requisition paper that the TB clinic gave you.

Sputum Samples

The lab needs your help to make sure they can test your sputum samples. You can watch this short video on how to get a good sputum sample at home. Read the HealthLinkBC file on TB Sputum Testing for instructions on how to get a good sputum sample.

Sputum Samples drop off

To drop off sputum samples in the lower mainland, you can return them to the BCCDC TB clinics.

New Westminster TB Clinic

Sputum containers can be dropped off at the New Westminster TB clinic in the front sample cupboard. Go to the "About Us" tab above for hours, location and directions.

Vancouver TB clinic

Sputum containers can be left at any time in the specimen drop box at the BCCDC. The dropbox is located in the shipping and receiving area in the back laneway of the BCCDC. Go to the "About Us" tab above for the location and directions.

TB sputum speciman drop box BCCDC Vancouver.png

If you live in the Fraser Health region of the lower mainland, you can also drop your sputum samples at your local public health unit. Find a location near you.

At the clinic

You are an important member of your TB care team. Read the Partners in Care handout or click on the questions below before coming to the TB clinic.

English Korean Punjabi Spanish Tagalog Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese

Identify yourself

Making sure we are caring for the right person is important and you will be asked for two ways to identify yourself. You may be asked for your first name, last name, health card, date of birth or driver’s licence or other identifiers.

Ask questions

It’s okay to speak up if you don’t understand something about your care. Ask for written information to take home with you. Write down questions so you don’t forget them. Ask for an interpreter if you are hearing-impaired or if English is not your first language.

Prevent falls

Tell us if you have a condition that might make a fall more likely (e.g. seizure disorder, poor balance, feeling faint). Let your clinician know if you have any history of dizziness, light-headedness or fainting at the sight of needles or when blood is drawn. Immediately report any symptoms such as dizziness and light-headedness. Let the care team know if you have fallen in the last 3 months or might need a wheelchair.

Medications

Tell us if you have any known allergies, for example, reactions to medication, food, latex and Band-Aids. Tell us immediately if you’ve had a bad reaction to any medication. Bring a list of your current medications used at home, including vitamins, herbals, inhalers and over-the-counter medications.

If you notice that a medication looks different from what you have been given before, ask us to check the medication and explain why it has changed. Make sure to keep the list up to date. You may use a medication card for this list. Ask if you are unsure about a medication’s purpose or how to take it.

Stop the spread of germs

Use alcohol hand sanitizer or soap and water after coughing or sneezing, after using the washroom or changing a diaper, or touching or examining your genital area. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue into a garbage can and immediately clean your hands. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, not your hand.

Privacy

Your privacy is important to us and we take the utmost care to protect your information. If you would like a copy of your health care results, please tell your health care provider at the time of your testing. You will need to show photo identification. Please ensure you respect the privacy of other clients by not taking pictures at any time.

Your privacy is important to us and we take the utmost care to protect your information. If you would like a copy of your health care results, please tell your health care provider at the time of your testing. You will need to show photo identification. Please ensure you respect the privacy of other clients by not taking pictures at any time.Your privacy is important to us and we take the utmost care to protect your information. If you would like a copy of your health care results, please tell your health care provider at the time of your testing. You will need to show photo identification. Please ensure you respect the privacy of other clients by not taking pictures at any time.Your rights & responsiblities

You have the right to:

Know the names and roles of the members of your health care team.
Receive effective care that is considerate, timely and respectful of your diverse views, culture, spiritual traditions, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation and abilities.
Receive information about your health care in a language you understand, with an interpreter accessed through a 3-way telephone call, a client-paid private interpreter or a client-chosen trusted friend or family member, if desired, within reasonable limits.

You are responsible for:

Participating in and making informed choices about the factors that affect your health and health care.
Refraining from the following behaviours towards staff members: violence or threat of violence, verbal abuse, sexual harassment or inappropriate sexual behaviour, use of alcohol or illegal drugs when on the premises, smoking when on the premises
Expressing your satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the services you have received.
Communicating ideas that may improve service delivery.
Respecting other clients, students and staff members.
Following your care plan to the best of your ability.
Following all safety, procedural and emergency directives from staff members and emergency personnel.
Rescheduling or cancelling when you can’t make an appointment so another client may receive care from a clinician.

Report concerns

If you have a concern about your care, please discuss it with us and either contact the staff person directly, ask to speak with a supervisor or manager, or complete a comment card. If you are not satisfied with the response, please contact the Patient Care Quality Office.

Referrals

Immigration TB Medical Surveillance

Are you new to Canada? Did Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) tell you to complete TB Medical surveillance? Go to Immigration TB medical surveillance to learn about how to get your TB check-up in BC and meet IRCC's requirements.

Health Professionals

Do you want to refer your patient to the BCCDC TB clinics? Find our referral forms in the TB Clinical Resources section of this website.

Tab Heading