BCG vaccination - what is it; when to do and decoding. BCG vaccination - composition, vaccination rules, reactions and complications BCG vaccination on what day

BCG (BCG) is a vaccine against tuberculosis. It received its name Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (Russian: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) in honor of the French scientists who invented the vaccine in 1920. In Russia, BCG is mandatory for newborns and children at risk. Vaccination does not provide 100% protection against infection, but it does help avoid severe complications and death.

The composition and production of BCG has remained virtually unchanged since its invention. The main component is live and dead mycobacteria taken from cattle and grown in a nutrient medium.

BCG is not capable of infecting a child with tuberculosis, but encountering weakened bacilli is enough for the body to develop its own immunity against the disease.

Two versions of the drug have been developed:

• BCG – 0.05 mg, intended for healthy, full-term children.
• BCG-M - 0.025 mg, is given to small, weakened, premature babies and children who were not vaccinated on time.

The drug is produced in France, Denmark, Japan, Russia, the composition is similar and equally effective. In Russia, it is recommended to use Russian medicine, since the drug gets from the manufacturer to clinics faster, and doctors have extensive experience working with it.

When they do

According to the Russian National Vaccination Calendar, BCG is given to children 3 times:

• Newborns on days 3-7 – primary vaccination;
• At 6-7 years of age, revaccination according to indications;
• At 13-14 years old, revaccination according to indications.

For some children, BCG is contraindicated in the first 7 days of life. They are vaccinated according to an individual schedule during the first year of life.

Children at risk are first given a test, which will show whether infection has occurred. Mantoux tests are performed starting from 2 months of age. If the reaction to the test is positive, the procedure is postponed until the results of a full examination of the child.

The Mantoux test is performed for children every year. Children 7 and 14 years old are given a revaccination with BCG if the test result is negative.

How and where they put it

No special preparation is required before BCG. It is best to carry out the procedure on an empty stomach. On the day of BCG, the doctor examines the child to exclude contraindications.

The doctor informs about the specifics of the procedure, possible adverse reactions and complications from the vaccination, and the parents give written consent to vaccination or refusal.

Vaccination is carried out by a specially trained nurse under the supervision of a doctor. They must first examine the packaging of the drug and check the expiration dates.

A dose of the drug is administered subcutaneously into the outer part of the left shoulder at the border of the upper and middle third or into the thigh.

To ensure that the drug is administered correctly, the skin is slightly stretched before injection, then part of the drug is injected. After making sure that the needle has entered correctly, the rest of the vaccine is injected. A whitish papule about 9 mm in diameter forms on the skin, which resolves within 20 minutes.

Carrying out the procedure requires physicians to be careful, attentive, and experienced, since improper administration of the vaccine can lead to complications.

The date of administration, name of the vaccine, dose, series, number, and expiration date are entered into the child’s medical record. When a newborn is discharged from the maternity hospital, these data are entered into his discharge summary.

Contraindications

A newborn may have conditions in which vaccination is not recommended:

• The baby's weight is less than 2.5 kg (prematurity);
• acute respiratory infections (vaccination is given after recovery);
• Exacerbation;
• from close relatives;
• Purulent-septic infection;
• Severe diseases of the nervous system;
• Skin diseases;
• Use of immunosuppressive drugs;
• Primary immunodeficiency;
• mother.

There are also contraindications for revaccination:

• Acute diseases or exacerbation of chronic ones;
• Positive Mantoux reaction;
• or contact with tuberculosis patients;
• Complications after the first injection;
• Oncological diseases;
• Immunodeficiency;
• Taking certain medications.

Normal reaction

With a normal reaction, after 6-8 weeks a small lump appears at the injection site, reminiscent of a mosquito bite. Then an abscess appears, which bursts after 45-60 days. After opening the abscess, a crust remains, it disappears and forms again within 4-5 weeks. As a result, a scar from 2 to 10 mm wide remains.

The appearance of a scar at the site of vaccine administration means that the drug has worked and the baby has immunity from tuberculosis.

After BCG, the child’s body temperature may rise, itching and inflammation may appear at the injection site. This is the body's natural reaction to foreign bacteria.

Complications

After vaccination, complications occur if the vaccination rules are not followed:

• Local allergic reactions – arise and develop rapidly;
• (inflammation of the lymph nodes, often axillary, supraclavicular or subclavian) with a diameter of more than 1 cm, surgical intervention may be required;
• Cold abscess - occurs when the medicine is administered incorrectly after 1-1.5 months in the form of a compaction at the injection site, with a bluish tint to the skin;
• Ulcer – possible with increased sensitivity to the vaccine; healthcare workers should note this reaction in the baby’s medical record;
• Keloid scar - the skin at the injection site swells and turns red, is a contraindication for revaccination and must be included in the medical record;
• BCG infection - manifests itself at the age of six months, begins with pustular rashes, then other internal organs are affected, occurs rarely in 1 case per million and is associated with immunodeficiency problems;
• Osteitis (bone tuberculosis) - develops from 6 months to 2 years after the injection.

If any complications occur, you should consult a doctor. To reduce the likelihood of side effects, the child should be carefully examined if vaccination needs to be refused or delayed until a more appropriate time.

What to do after vaccination?

After vaccination, you need to properly care for the child, monitor the injection site and not interfere with the formation of the scar. The vaccine should not be scratched or smeared with iodine or any antiseptic agents. You can wash the child, but do not soap it, do not rub the vaccination area with a washcloth, or steam it.

It is better not to introduce new foods into your child’s diet so as not to provoke an allergic reaction. You will have to take antihistamines, which will interfere with the full formation of immunity.

After BCG, the temperature may rise, you can give it to your baby.

If a child may develop febrile seizures, it is better to start lowering the temperature after it rises to 37.5 degrees. If the fever persists for a long period of time, the injection site looks swollen, red, festers and increases in size, you need to consult a doctor.

To do it or not?

Despite the fact that BCG is included in the national vaccination schedule, parents have the right to refuse vaccination. Parents refuse BCG for fear of complications. According to statistics, complications after BCG occur extremely rarely. But tuberculosis is a very common and extremely dangerous disease that can be encountered not only in the hospital, but also in public transport, a store or the entrance of your own home. Therefore, each parent decides whether or not to vaccinate their child themselves.

Throughout the existence of mankind, it has constantly faced a huge number of epidemics that could claim millions of lives. Of course, some diseases remain only memories, but even today there are enough things that can destroy a person. It is for this purpose that a variety of vaccines were invented, which are mandatory and are quite capable of protecting a person from a particular disease.

Tuberculosis and BCG - an excursion into history

Tuberculosis is transmitted by airborne droplets. Initially, the development of the virus in the body remains unnoticeable, but after a short time the disease began to threaten the life and health of the sick person. First of all, the human lungs, bone tissue, joints, and so on suffered. If we talk about newborn children, tuberculosis is accompanied by anemia or dystrophy, in especially severe cases it affects the brain and tuberculous meningitis. It is in such cases that you need to act immediately, because in just a few weeks the disease can kill a weak creature.

Today, modern medicine allows many people to avoid this disease through vaccination, which is done to the child as soon as he is born. The tuberculosis vaccine, or BCG, was invented approximately 100 years ago in France. Initially, the vaccine caused a large number of complications and after many years and attempts at improvement, today we have a completely safe medicine for the prevention of tuberculosis.

BCG vaccination for a newborn baby

Of course, doctors say that the vaccine does not provide a 100% guarantee that the child will not get tuberculosis in the future. But you need to understand that the body already has antibodies to this disease, and therefore, in cases of illness, it can quickly begin to fight it. The vaccine is administered exclusively subcutaneously into the child's left shoulder. The vaccine contains weak, semi-live pathogens of tuberculosis. Of course, they are not capable of causing infection, but they help produce antibodies. If the child is completely healthy and full-term, then he is given the BCG vaccine. If he is premature, has health problems and is weakened, then doctors use a weakened BCG-M vaccine. Immunity to tuberculosis will be formed during the first year of life and persists for 5-7 years.

If the child is healthy, then he reacts normally to the vaccine and at about 2-3 months of life a small lump forms at the injection site, which looks like a mosquito bite. By six months, the seal will turn into a small, neat scar, which will be fully formed by the end of the first year of life.

Contraindications for BCG vaccination and possible complications

Today, there are several contraindications to BCG vaccination, which doctors divide into absolute and relative. Absolute contraindications include the following:

• the child has congenital or acquired diseases of the immune system;
• there is congenital enzymopathy or severe diseases that are inherited, severe damage to the central nervous system;
• You cannot get vaccinated when relatives have had complications after it;
• if the child has been diagnosed with tuberculosis.

• infectious diseases of varying degrees of complexity;
• skin diseases;
• a newborn is diagnosed with hemolytic disease;
• the child has a high degree of prematurity and a very weak body, low weight.

Complications that may occur after BCG vaccination

1. The infiltrate (vaccine injection site) increases significantly in size and may even ulcerate.
2. The infiltrate forms under the skin - if the infiltrate has formed under the skin, then it will feel like a small ball. This occurs when the vaccine is injected too deeply. If you notice the formation of a subcutaneous infiltrate in a child, you should immediately consult a doctor, because it may break through and then the infection will very quickly enter the child’s blood.
3. The infection may spread to the lymph nodes. Then they can increase significantly in size and become very painful. In some cases, the infection breaks out, forming a fistula - a channel through which pus comes out.
4. Very rarely in a newborn, but more often in an older child, a keloid can form: a growth of scar.

Also, if you are thinking about refusing vaccination, then remember how dangerous tuberculosis is, and the BCG vaccination is quite capable of protecting your baby from this disease.

Today, one of the most common diseases in our country and throughout the world is tuberculosis. It affects approximately 9 million people every year, more than a third of which are fatal.

To reduce the risk of tuberculosis and mitigate its consequences, the child is vaccinated with BCG in the first days of life.

In this article we will tell you why the BCG vaccination is needed, when the first and subsequent vaccinations are given, and what they protect the child’s body from.

What is BCG vaccination?

The BCG vaccine is a serum containing live and dead bacteria. When they enter the body, immunity against severe forms of tuberculosis is developed.

BCG decoding is a translation from the Latin language BCG, stands for bacillus Calmette-Guerin and its composition has not changed since the 20s of the last century.

Frequency of BCG serum administration

Vaccination with BCG vaccine in newborns is performed in the first year of life. As a rule, it is done directly within the walls of the maternity hospital in the first days after birth.

Before vaccination, preparations must be made, during which doctors find out whether the child has contraindications for the administration of serum.

The next vaccination is given after 7 years. To prepare for re-vaccination, the child is given a Mantoux test. If the test taken shows a negative result, then administration of the vaccine is a mandatory procedure. It is also recommended to re-vaccinate children who have regular contact with people with tuberculosis or who are its carriers.

The third vaccination is performed at the age of 14, but it is not mandatory. As a rule, almost no one does it.

Infant vaccination technique

BCG vaccination for newborns, according to WHO (World Health Organization) standards, is performed on the outer side of the left shoulder. Serum is a powder that is diluted in saline before BCG. Newborns are vaccinated with BCG using a special tuberculin syringe. The injection is made under the upper and middle layers of the skin. It is pierced either in one place, or several punctures are made next to each other.

The vaccine reaction in an infant to the administration of serum begins to appear after a month and lasts up to 4 months. A small spot forms at the site where the BCG vaccination is given. The norm is a spot whose diameter is less than 1 cm. Then a small swelling appears, inside of which there is pus. Under no circumstances should you squeeze out the abscess and treat it with brilliant green or iodine solution. It will soon heal on its own, and its surface will become covered with a crust. It is also forbidden to remove it from the skin; it will fall off on its own as it heals.

The color of the skin at the injection site may change - this is also normal. Then, over the course of six months, the baby develops a scar. Its length varies from 3 to 10 millimeters. The resulting scar indicates that the vaccination was successful and the baby has developed immunity against mycobacteria.

How to care for your baby after vaccination?

If the vaccination took place without negative consequences for the baby, it is still impossible to make changes to the baby’s diet at the same time. Do not conduct experiments on a child by changing his formula if the baby is bottle-fed. If the baby is breastfed, then the nursing mother should also refrain from eating new foods. Otherwise, the child may be at risk of allergies.

A newborn after BCG may experience vomiting, loose stools and elevated body temperature. In this situation, you should not rush to see a doctor - this is the norm. It is necessary to provide the baby with plenty of fluids, since significant fluid loss occurs during this period. The child may experience a decrease in appetite for several days, but this is not dangerous to his health.

A slight increase in temperature is usually associated with a reaction from the immune system to the drug. If the temperature does not go beyond the normal range, this does not indicate the ineffectiveness of the vaccination, because all children have their own reaction to the serum.

If the baby is not sick with anything, then there is no need to immediately. Taking medications is recommended only when the temperature rises above 38.5 C°. should be given to the newborn at night. If a baby has a temperature, it is necessary to reduce the temperature when it rises to 37.5 C°.

If a child is prone to allergic reactions, the doctor may prescribe it as a preventative measure.

Parents should not independently decide whether their child should use this or that drug; only a pediatrician can make a diagnosis.

Often the area where the injection was given becomes red or swollen. In some cases, it can become inflamed, accompanied by suppuration, and an ulcer forms in this place. Its healing can take a long time. Even if the wound from the injection is red and inflamed, there is no need to treat it. Sometimes newborns attempt to comb the area where the drug was injected, then it is recommended to apply a gauze bandage to it.

Parents may have a reasonable question: when can you bathe your baby? If his body temperature is not elevated, then swimming is not contraindicated. You can't bathe a baby if he... Water procedures are allowed only after receiving the result.

It is recommended to seek medical help if it is not possible to bring down a high temperature for a long time, even with the help of medications. Calling a doctor is also necessary if the baby is in a restless state, has a long period of decreased appetite, convulsions appear and the BCG site festers.

List of contraindications

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It must also be said that not all babies can be vaccinated with BCG. There are contraindications that prevent the vaccine from being administered to a newborn. First of all, this applies to children born ahead of schedule and babies with weakened immune systems. These are quite serious contraindications and vaccination should be rescheduled or performed after 7 years. Before revaccination, you need to make sure that the child has not been in contact with bacteria. This can be seen by a negative Mantoux test.

In addition, BCG vaccination is contraindicated in the following cases:

1. Lack of weight in a newborn - it should not be lower than 2.5 kg;
2. Contact with mycobacteria before vaccination;
3. Active form of chronic diseases.

Children whose weight does not exceed 2.5 kilograms are allowed to receive a lighter vaccine, called BCG M. In the lighter version of the serum, the content of antibodies of the tuberculosis pathogen is two times less than in the regular vaccine.

Sick children are not vaccinated; vaccination is performed only when the baby recovers. Vaccination does not make sense if the baby has already had contact with a person with tuberculosis. It is worth noting that a child cannot always become infected during the first contact. Some babies begin to produce antibodies in their bodies.

Vaccination is not done if the following serious contraindications exist:

1. HIV infection;
2. presence of complications in close relatives after BCG vaccination.

The administration of BCG to such children can have quite serious consequences. Mycobacteria contribute to the spread of infection in children's bodies. Such babies do not receive any vaccinations.

List of complications after BCG vaccination

Immunity is not developed

The reaction to BCG in each newborn is expressed differently. In some cases, complications may occur, the most common of which is immature immunity against tuberculosis. This indicates that the reaction to the serum did not go as expected. Either the baby’s immune system is weakened, or the baby is not genetically susceptible to mycobacteria. The last factor means that it is impossible for a child to become infected with tuberculosis.

Keloid scar

Sometimes it happens that wound healing occurs with certain difficulties. A child may develop a keloid, which is a hereditary disease. It is characterized by the growth of scar tissue when the skin is damaged. When a keloid scar appears after the vaccine is administered, blood vessels become visible through it. The scar takes on a bright color, and its appearance may be accompanied by burning and itching.

Fever

Often, as a complication after BCG, children experience elevated body temperature. This is an absolutely normal reaction of a child’s body to the administration of BCG.

Redness, skin irritation

The reaction to the BCG vaccination can manifest itself in the form of slight redness and swelling at the injection site, which are short-term. Also, the site where the vaccine was administered can fester and become inflamed, and point inflammation and scabies may occur.

Inflammation of the lymph nodes

After the BCG vaccination, the child's lymph nodes may become inflamed. Mothers usually notice enlarged lymph nodes in the armpits of a newborn when they bathe their baby. Lymph nodes can reach the size of a walnut, and in exceptional cases, be the size of a chicken egg.

If a baby’s vaccination has become infected or any of the symptoms described above are observed, this is considered a serious reason to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

The following severe complications occur less frequently from the administration of the BCG vaccine:

• Bone tuberculosis (osteitis);
• Generalized BCG infection.

Both diseases occur due to malfunctions of the infant’s immune system.

The vaccine may also cause:

• Cold abscess - formed when the technique of administering the vaccine is violated. To eliminate such a problem, surgical intervention is required;
• Osteomyelitis - suppuration occurs at the injection site, which subsequently affects the bone tissue.

Why should you get the BCG vaccine?

Today, there is an increasing debate about whether newborns need BCG vaccination? Since the situation with the incidence of tuberculosis can hardly be called favorable, children are vaccinated already while they are in the maternity ward.

Among vaccination supporters, there is an opinion that vaccination can protect babies from more severe forms of the disease. These include:

• extrapulmonary form of tuberculosis;
• disseminated tuberculosis;
• tuberculous meningitis.

Phthisiatricians, who in their line of work have to deal with this disease every day, are of the opinion that even if a child becomes infected, his recovery will occur without negative consequences. In infants who do not receive BCG, if they become infected with one of these forms of tuberculosis, death is inevitable.

Despite this, there is also a large army of opponents of vaccination. They ask the question that if maternity hospitals carry out universal vaccination of infants, and the incidence rate does not decrease, then is this not a reason to reconsider the very principle of protecting children from disease?

Today, parents have the right to make their own decision whether to vaccinate their child against tuberculosis. If they nevertheless decide to refuse it, then it is possible to formalize the refusal in writing. The text, as a rule, contains the phrase that the parents assume responsibility for the child’s health, and they have no complaints against the staff of the medical institution.

Often, parents want to refuse vaccination of their newborn, but they do not want to take responsibility on their own shoulders, shifting it to medical workers. Before refusing a vaccination, you need to carefully consider all its pros and cons. We must not forget that the child’s health will depend on the choice made by the parents in the future.

From the first days of life, a newborn becomes familiar with vaccinations.

One of the first vaccines administered to a baby is BCG - a special culture of active and inactive microorganisms that contribute to the development of its own immunity against tuberculosis.

Vaccine introduction does not provide 100% guarantee protection against tuberculosis, but significantly reduces the risk of mortality when infected with severe forms - tuberculous meningitis and disseminated tuberculosis.

Why is BCG prescribed to newborns?

Why are newborns vaccinated? The main purpose of BCG is prevention dangerous forms tuberculosis, preventing the disease from becoming active. Tuberculosis affects children at any age; the course of the disease in a child is severe, even fatal. A vaccinated child when the pathogen disappears - Koch bacilli- will tolerate the disease more easily, in uncomplicated forms.

Photo 1. Newborns are vaccinated so that the body produces antibodies to the disease.

Goals of vaccination BCG among newborns:

• prevention development of open forms of tuberculosis and complications;
• control morbidity among infants and older adults;
• prevention outbreaks of tuberculosis epidemics (this function of vaccination is not always achievable due to fashionable trends to refuse vaccinations and the belief in their negative impact on the child’s body).

When is the vaccine given and how does it proceed?

Many parents do not understand why BCG put to the fragile baby. The purpose of vaccination in the first days of life is to instill in the body weakened microorganisms, before acquaintance with the active pathogen occurs.

Important. The administration of the BCG vaccine to newborns has reduced the incidence of tuberculosis in children to a minimum.

When is the vaccine given? BCG is given to newborns in the maternity hospital at 3-4 days of life in the absence of contraindications. The vaccine is easily tolerated in the vast majority of cases. Reactions to BCG in newborns deferred and develop some time after vaccination.

Reaction in newborns is normal

TO normal reactions to vaccination include local skin manifestations and fever.

• BCG redness- normal post-vaccination reaction; The vaccine injection site not only turns red, but mild suppuration often appears.
• The area of ​​redness is normal small, does not apply to surrounding tissues. The appearance of redness is caused by a local reaction of the skin to the introduction of a serum foreign to the body.
• Occasionally appears at the injection site keloid scar- a bulging red lesion. A small keloid scar is not considered a deviation.
• Swelling at the site of vaccine administration there is a local reaction; normally the swelling lasts no longer than 3 days, after which it subsides on its own. Afterwards, the injection site does not differ from neighboring areas of the skin, does not rise or swell.
• The process of putrefaction and abscess formation at the BCG injection site. The process of suppuration in the delayed period is normal. If the graft is placed correctly, it looks like a small purulent formation (abscess), covered in the center with a thin crust.
• Inflammation in place of BCG - a typical reaction within the normal range. A slight inflammatory process occurs in a delayed period, when an abscess forms.
• Itchy skin at the site of vaccine administration. In the post-vaccination period, mild to moderate itching is sometimes observed, associated with healing and regeneration of the skin. In addition to itching sensations, discomfort may occur under the crust of the abscess. Main - avoid scratching injection site, this is fraught with infection.
• Temperature increase after BCG - a rare occurrence. A rise in temperature to subfebrile levels ( 37-37.3°, less often until 37.5°) more often occurs not immediately after vaccination, but during the period of occurrence of vaccination reactions, after 4-5 weeks after injection. Temperature accompanies the process of BCG suppuration. Some children develop a reaction in the form of temperature jumps - from 36.4° to 37.5° in a short time interval. This does not apply to pathology.

Attention! An important point that distinguishes normal from complication: the skin around the abscess should be normal, without redness or swelling.

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Possible deviations: photo

Variants of abnormal post-vaccination reactions:

• Redness, covering not only the injection site, but also surrounding tissue; the skin has an intense red tint, the reddened area is hot to the touch.

Photo 2. The injection site itself and the skin around it turned very red. May be a sign of a negative reaction to the vaccine.

• Suppuration and the formation of an abscess (pimple, infiltrate) in the first days after vaccination.
• Intense swelling, the injection site rises significantly above healthy skin; swelling does not go away after 3-4 days after BCG.

Photo 3. The injection site rises significantly above the healthy skin, there is intense swelling.

• Diffuse inflammation, covering adjacent areas of skin on the shoulder.
• Temperature rise above 38.5° immediately after vaccination and in the delayed period; temperature stays over 2-3 days contract.

Photo 4. A newborn baby's temperature is changed using an electronic thermometer. The norm at this age ranges from 36 to 37 degrees.

The appearance of post-vaccination reactions deviating from the norm means that the BCG administration technique was wrong, the requirements for sterility were ignored.

Individual characteristics of the child’s body, weakness and immaturity of the newborn’s immune system influence on the development of negative manifestations after BCG.

How does BCG heal a day, a month, a year after vaccination?

The way the healing process of vaccination proceeds in newborns differs from the course of the post-vaccination periods after other vaccinations. How BCG heals in newborns There are several stages in the healing of the injection site:

• immediately after vaccination is acceptable slight redness, swelling, through 48-72 hours the injection site does not stand out among healthy skin;
• later 21-42 days a spot forms at the injection site, then appears infiltrate- dense formation, increased in volume; permissible diameter no more than 1 cm;
• appearance bubble filled with transparent contents, it becomes cloudy over time;
• education on the surface of the abscess, thin pink or reddish crusts;
• education by 5-6 months scar diameter from 3 to 10 mm;
• the scar takes on its final appearance by 12 months, it is usually hardly noticeable due to its surface structure and color, close to healthy skin.

The normal healing process from the appearance of the blister to the appearance of the scar takes 3-4 months. The infiltrate sometimes breaks through with the flow of purulent exudate - this is normal course healing.

It is important not to treat the injection site with antiseptics - this will interfere with the adequate effect of the vaccine.

Interferes with normal healing and scar formation negative factors: weakening of the body, allergic reactions, violation of vaccination rules (failure to follow the injection technique, incorrect selection of needles, poor sterility), improper care of the infiltrate during the period of suppuration (mechanical damage, smearing with iodine).

Consequences and complications - why the vaccine festers

The likelihood of complications in newborns after vaccination is quite low. Complications after BCG in newborns include conditions associated with a serious deterioration in the health of the newborn and requiring qualified care.

Important. Negative consequences occur more often in children born with reduced immunity(for example, if the mother was a carrier of HIV infection).

According to the frequency of occurrence among complications of BCG are in the lead local (local) manifestations:

• lymphadenitis- inflammatory process in the lymph nodes - develops in one newborn out of a thousand vaccinated;
• cold abscess- pathological area at the site of vaccine administration, filled with pus, without symptoms of an inflammatory reaction; a complication occurs when the BCG technique is violated (the vaccine is injected under the skin);
• extensive ulcerative defect diameter over 1 cm- bleeding wound that is difficult to heal at the injection site; ulcers as complications appear when the newborn is hypersensitive to the components of the vaccine and requires local treatment with antibacterial agents;
• extensive rough(keloid) scar— skin response to foreign vaccine cells; presence of a small scar ( up to 0.5 cm) does not relate to pathology; large rough scars ( over 1 cm) with bulging edges require monitoring by a phthisiatrician and pediatrician;
• osteitis- a dangerous complication of BCG, occurs extremely rarely - one baby by 200 thousand vaccinated; Osteitis develops after 6-24 months after vaccination in the form of tuberculous bone lesions; at risk are children with congenital dysfunctions of the immune system;
• generalized BCG infection- a serious condition that occurs in infants with serious immune disorders; frequency of occurrence - one vaccinated out of 100 thousand;
• acute allergic reactions in the form of a sudden rash all over the body, severe itching develop in newborns with a tendency to allergies.

Useful video

It is important to know how the BCG vaccination works on a child’s body, what vaccines exist and are being developed now, and why it should be given at all.

When you can’t do without a doctor - what to do

BCG is considered “light” compared to other vaccinations. Most newborns tolerate both the vaccination itself and the process of infiltration formation and healing. But there is list of reactions on BCG during administration and during healing, during which consultation with a doctor is necessary:

• acute skin manifestations(swelling, bloating, suppuration, abscess) with dimensions over 1 cm and soreness;
• general sudden or prolonged (longer than 2-3 days) deterioration of the child's condition, including refusal to eat, drowsiness, sudden crying, change in stool;
• temperature over 38-38.5°, difficult to correct with antipyretics;
• enlarged and painful lymph nodes.

Important. Newborns who have given an inadequate response to BCG administration should be supervision by a phthisiatrician. If the complications are severe, specific therapy will be required to restore the body. Subsequently, for such children, the issue of BCG revaccination is decided individually.

BCG is an important vaccination, the timely production of which allows really protect your child from fatal forms of tuberculosis. Many parents are afraid of the vaccine, believing that its effect is not justified, and adverse reactions will seriously undermine the baby’s health. This opinion is wrong - with a responsible approach to vaccination, the risk of complications is reduced to zero.

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