[PPD screening in school children with and without BCG vaccination]

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Tuberculosis remains a significant global health challenge, particularly in children.
• BCG vaccination is a widely used preventive measure against tuberculosis.
• Assessing the long-term effectiveness of BCG vaccination is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of BCG vaccination in preventing tuberculosis infection in school children.
• To analyze tuberculosis infection rates in relation to the time elapsed since BCG vaccination.
• To compare infection rates between BCG-vaccinated and unvaccinated children in Sivas.

Main Methods:

• Purified Protein Derivative (PPD) screening was conducted on BCG-vaccinated and unvaccinated school children.
• Socioeconomic conditions of participants were considered.
• Statistical analysis was performed to compare infection ratios between different vaccination groups and time intervals post-vaccination.

Main Results:

• BCG-vaccinated children had a significantly lower tuberculosis infection rate (6.6%) compared to unvaccinated children (26.5%).
• No statistically significant difference in infection or immunity ratios was observed among vaccinated children based on the time elapsed since vaccination (P > 0.05).
• The overall tuberculosis infection ratio was substantially reduced in the BCG-vaccinated cohort.

Conclusions:

• BCG vaccination provides significant protection against tuberculosis infection in school-aged children.
• The protective effect of BCG vaccination appears to be sustained over time, with no significant decline observed in the years following vaccination.
• Public health initiatives promoting BCG vaccination are essential for tuberculosis control in pediatric populations.