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Interruption to supply of BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guerin) Vaccine

14 April 2015

The UK and other European countries are experiencing an interruption to the supply of BCG vaccine. ImmForm, the supplier for NHS practitioners in the UK is no longer taking routine orders for BCG vaccine, however, it is expected that ordering will resume in May 2015.

In the meantime, practitioners should prioritise the stock available. The most effective use of BCG vaccine is for protection of the very young against miliary tuberculosis and tuberculosis meningits. The Tuberculosis chapter of the Green Book gives details of the children who should be offered BCG vaccination under the UK childhood vaccination programme.

Advice for Travellers

The TRAVAX country records are regularly updated using WHO data on tuberculosis (TB) incidence worldwide. Countries with a TB incidence of 40 per 100 000 population or greater will have an entry under Vaccines Selectively Advised (for travellers at highest risk). Countries with a TB entry are graded:

  • TB is common in this country - incidence of 40 per 100 000 population
  • TB is very common in this country - incidence of 100 per 100 000 population (or greater).

TRAVAX advice is to consider BCG vaccination for travel to countries where TB is common or very common, under the following circumstances, and after individual risk assessment:

  • Tuberculin-negative travellers under 16 years-of-age who will be living or
    working with local people for a prolonged period of time (>3 months).
  • Tuberculin-negative healthcare workers under 35 years-of-age who may be at risk through their occupation.
  • Tuberculin-negative healthcare workers over 35 years-of-age who may be at particularly high risk of exposure to TB.

During this delay in vaccine supply careful risk assessment is particularly important and priority should be given to immunising infants and young children.

Tuberculin skin testing pre and post travel can be performed to establish if exposure to TB has occurred, and is an alternative to using BCG in older children and adults. See FAQ's for further details.