[The prophylaxis of tuberculosis and vaccination with BCG. A recent study]

The efficacy of BCG immunization for the prevention of tuberculosis was prospectively studied in Togo in 705 infants and children aged 1 month to 6 years (319 boys and 386 girls). Five-hundred and four subjects had received the BCG vaccine and 201 had not. All the subjects were exposed to an adult with tuberculosis. Studied subjects were followed up for the development of tuberculosis with physical evaluations, simple biologic tests (blood cell counts and ESR), roentgenograms, and sputum analyses. WHO scores were used to establish the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Tuberculosis was identified in 53.4% of unvaccinated subjects versus 5.3% of vaccinated subjects. Close contact with the index case (e.g., tuberculosis in the mother) was associated with an increased likelihood of tuberculosis. These findings clearly demonstrate the incomplete but substantial protective effect of the BCG vaccine in subjects exposed to tuberculous patients and provide further support for use of the BCG vaccine.