The decline of BCG immunity after neonatal vaccination: what about revaccination at one year?
Two hundred and nineteen healthy newborns were vaccinated with the BCG vaccine, and their immunity was checked thereafter at 3, 6 and 12 months of age. We determined that 87% of tuberculin reactivity at 3 months declined to 61% at 12 months. Revaccination of nonreactive infants provided a 100% rate of reactivity. In the light of this information we propose a revision in the BCG vaccination programme in developing countries. We also found a close relationship between the tuberculin reactivity and scar formation after BCG vaccination, suggesting that a simple check of the left deltoid region for a BCG scar may give enough information about the child's immunity to tuberculosis.
SSK Tepecik Teaching Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
H
H
Aydinlioglu
S
S
Caglayan
S
S
Kansoy
I
I
Yaprak
E
E
Seckin
A R
AR
Bakiler
S
S
Aksoy
D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination
D001500:BCG Vaccine