BCG vaccination of the newborn

Newborn infants given one of three BCG vaccines at birth reacted to Heaf tuberculin testing 6-12 weeks later with a visible and palpable ring of nodules. This correlated with the Heaf grade I reaction previously describes with BCG vaccination. Review of hospital and clinic records, although regrettably incomplete, revealed no case of tuberculous meningitis or miliary tuberculosis in a vaccinated child in our area since the campaign for vaccination of newborn babies began. Tuberculosis in vaccinated babies should be carefully investigated to determine age at vaccination, type of vaccine, degree of exposure to infection and socio-economic factors which may be important in producing this "vaccine failure". Vaccination will give 60-80% protection to the newborn for about 5 years.