بررسي عوارض ناشي از واكسن BCG در كودكان شهر سمنان

Complications of BCG vaccination in children

Background: Tuberculosis is a worldwide infectious disease and BCG is the only available vaccine against this infection. This vaccine is injected intradermally (0.05 cc) in the first day of life. The complications of BCG vaccine are: local ulceration, regional lymphadenopathy, lymphadenitis, abscess formation and fistulization, osteitis or osteomyelitis, systemic reactions, hypersensitivity and granulomatosis reactions. There has been hardly any study on complications of BCG in Iran; therefore we decided to evaluate the rate of the most important complications of this vaccine (lymphadenopathy, lymphadenitis, abscess formation, and fistulization) in Semnan. Methods: All 557 babies born at Amir-al-Momenin and Shafa Hospitals during a 6-month period between March and September 2003 were assessed. In our study, BCG vaccination was performed for all these neonates at the hospitals. Then, the babies were examined monthly by a physician and the questionnaires were filled in. Findings: The rate of lymphadenopathy, lymphadenitis and fistulization of the abscess after BCG vaccination were 2.2%, 0.54%, and 0.18% respectively. There was no significant difference between the incidences of the complications in the two hospitals. Moreover, no significant difference was observed between the sex of the babies and the occurrence of the complications. * Conclusion: The survey illustrated a higher rate of lymphadenopathy and lymphadenitis after BCG vaccination compared with the other countriesʹ studies.