What is BCG Vaccine?

BCG vaccine is the abbreviation for Bacillus Calmette-Guerin and is a live bacterial vaccine that is used for protection against tuberculosis. The BCG vaccine has been around for 85 years and is one of the most effective vaccines that are given to infants. The vaccine is an integral ingredient of the national childhood immunization program. BCG immunization is a must for infants as it protects them from the ethiological component of TB known as Mycobacterium TB.

BCG vaccine should be given to a baby in a time span of 15 days from their birth. Generally the BCG vaccine is administered in the infant’s body with a zero dose of oral polio vaccine. In most countries, it is mandatory to give the anti tuberculosis vaccine to all infants. The immune system of a human being can fight tuberculosis and in some cases, people who have not been given the vaccine manage to go through life without TB but it is always good to get your child go through Mantoux test in order to know if he needs to be given the BCG vaccine.

Efficacy of BCG Vaccination

There are a large number of nations in the world where TB epidemic is common among children. Children do not have a very strong immune system and are likely to catch the TB germs. Till the age of 5 years, children are extremely vulnerable to tuberculosis. BCG is a live vaccine and the way it works is that upon administration in the body, it creates a primary infection which gives the infant immunity to TB. Hence when a child comes in touch with TB causing germs, he would not get TB because he is immune because of the primary injection of BSG. However it should be noted that a child who has been injected with BCG vaccine still has the possibility to catch TB in his adult life and therefore vaccine against BCG should be given to children even after 5 years of age if he has not developed proper immunity against TB.

BCG Vaccine Cost

The fact that BCG vaccination is mandatory as per the government has caused the cost of the vaccine to go down. There was a time when the cost of BCG vaccine was on the higher side but in the present era, you can get the vaccination for low prices. In order to know more about the cost, you should get in touch with a doctor at a government hospital. BCG vaccine is being manufactured all over the world by a number of big companies.

Tuberculosis Vaccine BCG

Tuberculosis vaccine has been around for around 80 years now. The BCG vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines that prevent children from TB. Tuberculosis among children is one of the major health issues that a number of countries are trying to fight. The best way to get rid of the problem is to have your child administer the BCG vaccine within 6 months of birth. BCG vaccination is one of the most important parts of the Universal Immunization Program. A lot has been said about the poor efficiency of the BCG vaccine to prevent TB in adults. However a lot of research is still being conducted in order to make various kinds of tuberculosis vaccines to prevent adults from TB.

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