Evolution and Determinants of BCG Immunization Policy: Canada’s Experience

DOI: 10.6525/TEB.20160823.32(16).002

Hsun-Yin Huang^＊, Yu-Ling Chang

2016 Vol.32 NO.16

Correspondence Author： Hsun-Yin Huang^＊

Abstract：

Canada is one of the countries with the lowest tuberculosis (TB) incidence rate and has discontinued use of BCG immunization due to stable decreasing trend of TB incidence rate since 1970s. However, BCG continues to be used in the indigenous population area with high TB incidence rate.

The Immunization Monitoring Program ACTive (IMPACT) system in Canada has received several vaccine adverse event reports of disseminated BCG infection during 1990 and 2003. Despite the fact that all cases were born with immune-deficiency problems, whose symptoms hadn’t appeared when immunization, the Canadian Government and National Advisory Committee on Immunization in Canada reviewed the strategy of TB prevention and BCG vaccination policy, and revised the BCG immunization guidelines. We could learn from the evolution and determinants of BCG immunization policy in Canada