Report of 16 Years of the BCG Vaccine under the Expanded Program on Immunizations in Mexico (2006-2021)

In recent years in Mexico, a decreased Bacillus Calmette and Guérin (BCG) coverage has been observed concomitantly with new cases of tuberculosis.

This study is a descriptive and analytical evaluation regarding both BCG vaccine acquisition and coverage as reported by official sources over a 16-year period (2006-2021).

We found that vaccine acquisition, dose application and coverage are highly variable each year. Coverage is 90% or higher, except for the 2017-2020 period.

According to our calculations, between 3,917,616 and 4,961,868 individuals did not receive the BCG vaccine. Coverage was lower than 90% during the last 4 years, whereas this value decreased to 21% in 2020. Except for the last 5 years, the amount of acquired doses surpassed the demand thus causing a considerable vaccine wastage.

BCG vaccine coverage is low and many individuals remain unprotected. The access to this vaccine is difficult and the number of newly reported cases of tuberculosis have increased during the last years. Thus, it is necessary to establish vaccination campaigns aimed protect the population and also to deploy a nominal system to control coverage, acquisitions, and target population.