[Variation in yield of needle scars with multipuncture BCG vaccination]

BCG vaccination using the multipuncture percutaneous method has long been employed in Japan. The purpose of this study is to clarify whether the number of needle scars achieved the BCG vaccination differs with the vaccinating physician.

A total of 218 babies who were vaccinated at the age of 4 months by different physicians at the Public Health Centres of Katsushika-Ward, Tokyo, were examined at the age of 3 years, in the three-year-old health check-up programme. The BCG vaccination with the multipuncture method generates 18 needle scars at a maximum. We examined each child for how many needle scars after BCG vaccination were visible, with reference to the vaccinating physician.

The mean number of the visible scars was 9.23 (SD 6.11), and significantly smaller (P < 0.01) than that for all 22 Wards (12.18 +/- 5.64) investigated with the same method. The mean number of needle scars of the babies in Katsushika Ward was the third smallest among the 22 Wards and significantly smaller (P < 0.05) than the national average as determined in the nationwide survey conducted in 2000. Significant differences were evident among the 7 physicians performing the vaccination, the best and second best means being 15.26 (SD3.62) and 14.59 (SD3.58) respectively, and significantly larger (P < 0.01) than the means for the 7 physicians. The worst mean was 3.43 (SD4.46), significantly smaller (P < 0.01) than the mean for the 7 physicians.

The mean number of needle scars after BCG vaccination of babies significantly differed with the 7 physicians in the present study. Poor technique was presumed responsible for small numbers of scars and technical training is therefore necessary in order to improve the BCG vaccination outcome.