What is BCG Vaccine: Everything Explained

In a world of rising health concerns, prevention is always considered better than cure. Vaccinations play a significant part in this regard. The BCG vaccine, for instance, has been in existence for over 80 years, mainly for preventing tuberculosis in both infants and adults.

Are you wondering about the benefits and side effects of a BCG vaccine? Let us find out all about it with this article!

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What Is a BCG Vaccine?

The full form of BCG vaccine is Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine. BCG vaccine primarily prevents and controls tuberculosis in kids and adults. Usually, in countries with high rates of tuberculosis or leprosy, doctors recommend one dose for newborn babies. On the other hand, in areas where TB is not common, only kids who are highly susceptible to this disease are immunised with this vaccine. Healthcare professionals inject a single dose of BCG vaccine in an individual's upper arm.

Thus, if you wonder what the BCG vaccine is used for, it mainly has the role of strengthening the immune system of individuals to fight TB bacteria and prevent them from entering the body. Healthcare researchers primarily recommend it for people who have not yet been infected with TB but are at a high risk of getting it in future. However, one cannot use it for treating TB. It can create antibodies against the bacteria that causes TB.

Apart from TB, the BCG vaccine is given to prevent some non-tuberculosis mycobacteria such as Leprosy and Buruli ulcer. Furthermore, doctors also consider it successful immunotherapy. It is evident as several cancer vaccines use BCG as an additive for stimulating a person's immune system initially.

Who Should Get BCG Vaccine?

Now that you have a basic knowledge about the purpose of the BCG vaccine, you need to understand the target group for this vaccination. Children, particularly newborn babies, constitute this vaccine's most influential target audience. These kids should have a negative tuberculin skin test. Moreover, if they are exposed to individuals who are ineffectively treated for TB disease, they need to get this vaccine immediately.

Apart from that, even adults can get this vaccine. In this case, healthcare workers primarily constitute the most prominent target audience, as they are in constant exposure with TB patients. If such patients are resistant to isoniazid and rifampin, such vaccination is mandatory for healthcare workers. Thus, the following individuals are eligible to get the BCG vaccine.

Children below six years of age living in countries with a high incidence of TB (annual incidence of > 40 per 100,000 population)
Individuals staying in or making repeated visits to a country with a high incidence of TB
Newborn children of parents migrating from a country with a high incidence of TB
Children of parents having leprosy or a family history of the same disease

It is essential to determine the correct dose of the BCG vaccine at birth. In the case of newborn babies, a 0.05 ml dose is necessary. On the other hand, healthcare professionals usually give a single dose of 0.01 ml to children over one year of age. The dose of the BCG vaccine for adults is about 1 ml.

Who Should Avoid Getting the BCG Vaccine?

Thus, as you already know what the BCG vaccine is, you should realise that not every individual can get this vaccine. The following list consists of individuals who are unsuitable for this vaccine.

Children with a body mass below 2,000 g
Newborn babies with suspected congenital immune deficiencies
People diagnosed with TB at present or in the past
Individuals having HIV infection
People suffering from primary or secondary immune deficiencies
Individuals taking anti-cancer or steroid drugs
Patients with serious illnesses, including kidney disease, skin and malignant diseases
People after having bone marrow stem cell transplantation or organ transplantation
Individuals having hypersensitivity to any component of the vaccine
Pregnant women

What Are the Side Effects of BCG Vaccine?

As you can see, there are significant uses of the BCG vaccine for individuals. However, there are also chances of side effects for vaccinated people. Therefore, you should inform your physician immediately if you come across these conditions. Some of the mild side effects of the BCG vaccine may include the following.

Discharge or soreness in the skin where you got the injection
Headache and high fever
Swollen glands in the armpit

Apart from these, there can also be other severe side effects after getting this vaccine. These might include the following problems.

Bumps and soreness all across the skin where you got the injection
Constant pus discharge from the injection site
Bone and muscle pains
Signs and symptoms of infection, such as persistent fever

If you see such conditions occurring to you or your baby, you should visit your physician immediately and get a treatment for the side effects of BCG vaccine.

Thus, there is no denying the fact that a BCG vaccine is an essential requirement for babies to avoid diseases such as TB in the future. As this article states, this vaccination mainly targets kids, while adults can also get it if they are not diagnosed with TB. While this vaccine cannot cure TB, it can form antibodies to kill bacteria that might cause this disease.

Frequently Asked Questions

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How long does the effect of BCG vaccine effect last?

Doctors mainly recommend the BCG vaccine for newborn babies to fight against TB bacteria. Its effects can last up to 15 years for protecting an individual.

Can the BCG vaccine be given twice?

Usually, you get a BCG vaccine as a single dose. However, if your TB skin test results are negative even after 2-3 months of your first dose, you can repeat the vaccine.