The Active Surveillance of BCG-related Adverse Events

Pei-Chun Chan1, Wei-Lun Huang2, Kwei-Feng Wang1, Ching-Ying Ma1,Bao-Yun Lu1, Fu-Tien Lin3, Ruwen Jou2, Chin-Hui Yang1

2012 Vol.28 NO.2

Correspondence Author： Pei-Chun Chan

Abstract：

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin is a live attenuated vaccine. It protects children from mortality due to tuberculosis meningitis and disseminated tuberculosis disease, and the World Health Organization suggests that BCG vaccination should be completed in infancy. In Taiwan, with the decline in the prevalence of tuberculosis, as well as the dramatic drop in birth rate, both the number and incidence of tuberculosis in children have reached a new low. BCG vaccination brings about a certain percentage of serious adverse events, such as disseminated BCG-related disease and BCG-related osteomyelitis/osteitis, which start to be taken seriously with the low number of tuberculosis in children. After weighing the mortality and long-term side effect caused by tuberculosis meningitis and disseminated tuberculosis disease, as well as the impact of disseminated BCG-related disease and BCG-related osteomyelitis/osteitis, the public health department and medical experts propose routine neonatal BCG vaccination according to the recommendation of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease. Taiwan Centers for Disease Control will continue monitoring the serious adverse events due to the BCG quality and vaccination actively; moreover, promote the relevant units to establish the active reporting system of vaccine adverse events by the public and medical institutes. In addition, we will help the related units to assist the family of children suffered from vaccine adverse events to claim for vaccine injury compensation. The long range goal of the national tuberculosis policy is to promote TB contacts to receive treatment for latent infection, and further decrease the tuberculosis incidence in young generation and work for the stop of BCG vaccination.