BCG Vaccine

Dosage Forms

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Powder for injection

1.5 mg vial with 1.5 ml diluents

Uses

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Prevention against tuberculosis

Dose and Duration

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Give intradermal (just below the skin) injection into the external face of the right upper arm

Child <11 months: 0.05 ml as a single dose as soon after birth as possible

Child >11 months: 0.1 ml as a single dose

Preparation

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Dissolve with entire vial of the diluents packaged along with the vaccine. Do not use other diluents

Contraindications

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Immunocompromised patients (e.g. patients with HIV infection and patients on anticancer medicines)
Extensive septic skin diseases
Acute complicated malnutrition
Severe acute febrile illness (minor infections are not contraindications)
Infants exposed to smear positive tuberculosis until after they have completed 6 months of isoniazid prophylaxis
Acute tuberculosis

Side Effects

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Pain on injection site

Interactions

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All skin disinfectants (inactivate vaccine)

Patient instructions

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The ulcer that forms at the injection site is a normal and expected reaction that heals by itself. It should not be covered with anything. It will leave a permanent scar

Pregnancy

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Not applicable

Breastfeeding

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Not applicable

Storage

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Keep both powder and diluents at 2–8°C; never freeze the diluents.
Keep the reconstituted vaccine between 2–8°C for NOT more than 4 hours

⚠️ Caution

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Clean injection site with boiled cooled water and allow air drying. Do not use disinfectants (risk of inactivation of vaccine)
Do not mix with other vaccines in the same syringe
Inject the vaccine in the same place for each child to make it easy to find the BCG scar. Avoid injecting towards the tip of the shoulder