Epidemiological impact of the suspension of mandatory BCG vaccination and measurement of vaccination coverage.

Introduction. The multi-puncture BCG vaccine was withdrawn from the market in 2006, and the mandatory vaccination requirement was replaced in 2007 by a strong recommendation for vaccinating at-risk children. The French Institute for Public Health Surveillance is responsible for monitoring the impact of this decision on the epidemiology of tuberculosis and on vaccination coverage levels among at-risk children. Method. Data from mandatory disease reporting in 2010 pertained to children born since 2006. We analyzed vaccine sales data, data from children’s health certificates, and data from VCO surveys. Results. The number of tuberculosis cases among children under 5 years of age in 2010 remained stable compared to the 2000–2005 period. The number of cases increased outside the Île-de-France (IdF) region, where the proportion of vaccinated individuals among cases is decreasing. The number of severe cases remains very low. Vaccine sales are significantly lower than those observed in 2005, having remained stable since 2007 outside the IdF region, while they have been slowly increasing in the IdF region since 2008. Preliminary data from health certificates show that 79% of 9-month-old children in IdF born in 2010 had been vaccinated with BCG. Outside IdF, studies show very low vaccination coverage levels among at-risk children (32% among children seen in primary care; 62% in maternal and child health clinics). Conclusion. The data do not show any impact of the new vaccination protocols beyond what was expected. However, vaccination coverage levels among at-risk children are insufficient and necessitate improved outreach regarding the new vaccination protocols. (R.A.)

Author(s): Guthmann JP, Antoine D, Fonteneau L, Levy Bruhl D, Che D

Publishing year: 2012

Pages: 288-91

Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, 2012, n° 24-25, p. 288-91

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