Bcg Vaccine

Key points

• The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine offers limited protection against tuberculosis (TB). In the UK it is given to high-risk infants. Until 2005 it was also routinely given to children at the age of 13 years.
• all infants (aged 0 to 12 months) living in areas of the UK where the annual incidence of TB is 40/100,000 or greater
• all infants (aged 0 to 12 months) with a parent or grandparent who was born in a country where the annual incidence of TB is 40/100,000 or greater.
• previously unvaccinated tuberculin-negative contacts of cases of respiratory TB
• previously unvaccinated, tuberculin-negative new entrants under 16 years of age who were born in or who have lived for a prolonged period (at least three months) in a country with an annual TB incidence of 40/100,000 or greater