O BCG Vaccine Day is celebrated on July 1st, the date of creation of this important vaccine. BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) is used in the prevention of tuberculosis, a disease transmitted by saliva and contaminated materials and caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, also called Koch's bacillus.
The BCG vaccine was created by researchers Albert Calmette and Camille Guerin from a bacterium responsible for triggering bovine tuberculous mastitis, Mycobacterium bovis. Its first use was made in a newborn child of a mother who had tuberculosis in 1921. In Brazil, it began to be used in 1927, and the strain used is called BCG Moreau.
The effectiveness of BCG is great, especially in the disseminated form of tuberculosis, in which the vaccine guarantees around 78% of protection. It is worth noting that protection varies according to the patient and also according to the country, since the strains used for the manufacture of vaccines vary according to the location. Although the BCG vaccine was created with the purpose of protecting against tuberculosis, studies guarantee that this vaccine also guarantees some protection against tuberculosis.
leprosy.Initially, the vaccine was administered orally, only later that intradermal application was adopted. In Brazil, this new way of using BCG started in 1968 and is based on the injection of the substance in the right arm, more precisely in the deltoid region.
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Since 1976, the Ministry of Health has made the administration of BCG in children mandatory. It is recommended that it be applied to children between 0 and 4 years old, preferably to the newborn baby. The vaccine, however, has some contraindications, such as for children weighing less than 2kg, immunodeficient, malnourished, with generalized skin rashes and who are undergoing treatment with corticoids.
Currently the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends only one dose of the vaccine, since the second dose does not cause a considerable increase in protection, and there is no scientific evidence of its need. It is noteworthy that, in some countries, the second dose is still administered.
BCG is safe and is characterized by leaving a small scar on the arm where it was applied. This scar appears after a reaction that starts at the site after approximately two weeks. It is important that parents not worry about the injury that appears on the arm, which, in many cases, resembles a pimple. However, it is important to be aware of more intense injuries and seek medical attention, especially if the appearance of water in the armpits is observed.
By Ma. Vanessa dos Santos
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SANTOS, Vanessa Sardinha dos. "July 1—BCG Vaccine Day"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/datas-comemorativas/dia-da-vacina-bcg.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
