title: Protective efficacy of BCG against leprosy in Northern Malawi.
abstract: The effectiveness of a BCG vaccination programme in protecting against leprosy was assessed by case-control and cohort analyses of data from the Lepra Evaluation Project in Karonga District, Northern Malawi. Results indicate that BCG provides at least 50% protection against leprosy in this population and that protection is independent of age, sex, schooling status, or location within the project area. Agreement between these findings and those from a controlled trial in Uganda indicates that BCG is sufficiently effective against leprosy in East and Central Africa to be considered an important element of leprosy control in that region.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007918:Leprosy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008295:Malawi; D008297:Male; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001500:BCG Vaccine