OBJECTIVE

To assess the implementation of the "Selective Neonatal BCG Immunisation Policy", and to study the causes of non-compliance, or failure of uptake of BCG immunization.

METHODS

The Birth Register data were used to generate a list of babies born in the catchment area of Basildon and Thurrock NHS Trust between 1 January 2001 and 31 December 2001 who were eligible for BCG immunization. The Community Child Health computer was used to generate information about their BCG immunization status.

RESULTS

201 children were included in the study. One hundred and seventy-one children had received BCG immunization in the neonatal period, out of which 169 had received it before discharge from the hospital. Two children were immunized in the community in the neonatal period. Thus, 85% of the newborns eligible for BCG immunization received their vaccination in the neonatal period.

CONCLUSIONS

The current "Neonatal BCG Immunisation Policy" is effective, and there is a high uptake of the vaccine in the neonatal period within the hospital itself. Newborn infants who do not receive BCG immunization in hospital rarely get immunized in the community.

Connaught freeze-dried BCG vaccine is distributed in amber vials sealed with grey butyl rubber stoppers. This report gives data showing the stability of BCG vaccine in this presentation at 4 degrees C and 37 degrees C, for 1, 10, 20 and 50 dose vials. The results demonstrate that BCG vaccine prepared in vials is a stable product and could be useful in mass-immunization campaigns.

Despite controversies BCG vaccination has stood the test of time. World Health Organization continues to recommend its use in infant immunization programme in countries with heavy endemicity and where threatening HIV epidemic in an emerging problem>> 85% efficacy have been established in recent years against hematogenous spread of the disease and>> or = 50% efficacy even against pulmonary tuberculosis. Host related factors, agent related factors, vaccine related factors and inadequacy of evaluation tests determine the BCG vaccine efficacy. Identification of complete BCG genome in 1998 has opened new vistas in newer BCG vaccine development. Adoption of a '5C' concept viz. Case detection, Chemotherapy short course, Contact elimination, Chemoprophylaxis and lastly control in BCG vaccine will be a desirable national approach in combating adult and childhood TB.

The anti-tuberculosis Bacille de Calmette et Guérin (BCG) vaccine was developed between 1905 and 1921 at Pasteur Institutes of Lille in France, and was adopted by many countries. BCG strains comprise natural mutants of major virulence factors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and that BCG sub-strains differ markedly in virulence levels. The tuberculosis became endemic in Korea after the Korean War (1950s). The BCG strain, which was donated by Pasteur Institutes, was brought to Korea in 1955, and the first domestic BCG vaccine was produced by the National Defense Research Institute (NDRI), current Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), in 1960. Since 1987, BCG manufacture work was handed over to the Korean Institute of Tuberculosis (KIT), the freeze-dried BCG vaccine was manufactured at a scale required to meet the whole amount of domestic consumption. However, since 2006, the manufacture of BCG vaccine suspended and the whole amount of BCG was imported at this point of time. Now KIT is planning to re-produce the BCG vaccine in Korea under the supervision of KCDC, this will be render great role to National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) and provide initiating step for developing new tuberculosis vaccines in Korea.