San Diego County still reports tuberculosis every year, especially among people born outside the United States, healthcare and congregate-setting workers, and people with incomplete access to care. Most screening is for latent TB infection – not for diagnosing contagious, active disease.
You can get a TB skin test (PPD/TST) at many public-health and community clinics or a TB blood test (IGRA) such as the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test. The blood test is often preferred if you have had the BCG vaccine, only want one visit, or your employer/school wants and accepts a laboratory result instead of other documentation.
TB blood testing can also be ordered online through Accesa Labs and completed at a participating lab in the San Diego area:
San Diego TB Testing Options
These sites are grouped by access type and are not a ranked in any particular order. Call ahead for current hours, fees, and whether they offer PPD, IGRA, or both.
1. Accesa Labs / other testing service (QuantiFERON blood test)
Order a QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test online, choose a local collection site (often Quest Diagnostics locations around San Diego, Mission Valley, Hillcrest, Kearny Mesa, and nearby cities), and download a secure PDF when the results are ready. It typically takes several business days.
This option is good for healthcare workers, students, vendor credentialing, BCG-vaccinated patients, and anyone who wants a one-visit blood test without a separate clinic appointment for the lab order.
2. San Diego County Tuberculosis Prevention and Care Branch / Public Health Centers
County TB services prioritize people at higher risk, lower-income or uninsured individuals, and those who cannot easily get testing elsewhere (e.g. homeless). Insured people are often directed to their own provider first. Registered students at UCSD, SDSU, CSU San Marcos, and USD are generally told to use their student health service or private medical provider.
The main TB clinic has been the North Central Public Health Center (5055 Ruffin Rd, San Diego, CA 92123; 858-573-7300). As of late 2025, some reports have noted that the clinic stopped placing new TB tests and just ordered chest x-rays on people who already have documentation of a positive test. Other local public health centers (e.g. El Cajon, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido) have historically offered skin testing.
Call 619-692-5565 or check their website before visiting.
3. Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD)
A large FQHC network with clinics across the city and South Bay (City Heights, Diamond Neighborhoods, Chula Vista, El Cajon, Spring Valley, and others). Many sites offer TB testing plus primary care, sliding-scale fees, Medi-Cal, and other insurance. An option for people who want TB screening inside an ongoing primary-care home, including uninsured and underinsured patients.
4. San Diego Family Care
Community clinics (including Linda Vista) that list TB testing and treatment among primary-care and prevention services. Appointments are typically required. An option for people in north-central neighborhoods who need sliding-scale primary care plus TB screening. Check their website for more information.
5. La Maestra Community Health Centers
Clinics in City Heights, El Cajon, National City, and other communities. They accept Medi-Cal and often serve immigrant and multilingual patients—groups for whom IGRA is frequently a better first test than PPD after BCG vaccination. Confirm which sites offer skin test vs blood test on their website. An option for patients who need language access and community-clinic pricing.
6. Occupational health clinics (e.g., Concentra)
Employment and pre-placement physicals in Hillcrest, Kearny Mesa, Miramar, Sorrento Mesa, Mission Valley, and similar sites often include TST or IGRA for healthcare, childcare, and other regulated jobs. These places are options for employer-required screening when the workplace already contracts with occupational health.
Why San Diego Uses Both Skin Tests and Blood Tests
San Diego’s population includes many people born in countries where BCG vaccination is routine. BCG commonly causes a false-positive PPD which makes the QuantiFERON-TB Gold plus test more useful for people who want to avoid annual chest x-rays.
Clinic hours, fees, and which sites still place skin tests changes from time to time so verify details with the County TB program or the clinic directly. People with active symptoms such as fever, coughing, or shortness of breath, or recent tuberculosis exposure, should seek in-person care immediately.