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Is a Vaccine for Preventing TB Given in the United States?
BCG, or bacille Calmette-Guérin, is a vaccine for TB disease. Many persons born outside the United States have been BCG-vaccinated. The primary benefit of BCG is its effectiveness in preventing children from contracting severe disseminated TB or TB meningitis. Outside of the United States, many countries with a high prevalence of TB vaccinate infants with BCG as part of their pediatric TB control efforts.
BCG vaccination is not generally recommended in the United States because of:
- the low risk of severe disseminated TB disease in young children in the United States;
- the variable efficacy of the BCG vaccine against pulmonary TB;
- the low overall risk of infection with M. tuberculosis in the United States; and
- the vaccine’s interference with the interpretation of the TB skin test (Mantoux tuberculin skin test [TST])
The BCG vaccine should be considered only for very select persons who meet specific criteria, and in consultation with a TB expert.
Fortunately, TB is preventable and treatable. Lesson 6: Treatment of TB Disease will discuss TB treatment further.
