Tuberculosis in BCG-vaccinated and unvaccinated young Swedish Men. A comparative study.
Tuberculosis causing exemption from military service was studied in 47,791 tuberculin-tested military recruits between 1941 and 1946. A total of 46.6% were tuberculin negative, and two-thirds were BCG vaccinated. An analysis was made of 304 cases of tuberculosis discovered from 6 months after the test up to the end of 1960. It has been calculated that 69% of "expected cases" of tuberculosis were in the BCG-vaccinated men during the 5-year period after the test, and 20% during the following period; 46% of "expected cases" of post-primary pulmonary tuberculosis and 83% of "expected" deaths were prevented. The differences on which these percentages are based were statistically significant. The efficacy of BCG vaccination was lower in areas with widespread cattle tuberculosis than in areas where cattle tuberculosis is less frequent; this is explained by the influence of previously acquired immunity.
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D002417:Cattle; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008887:Military Medicine; D013548:Sweden; D013997:Time Factors; D014374:Tuberculin Test; D014397:Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality
D001500:BCG Vaccine