Further observations on clinical tuberculosis among BCGd Filipino children

ABSTRACT

For about 12 years now (i.e., since the year 1947), we have been conducting mass BCG inoculation here in the Philippines. Many thousands, and perhaps over half a million of our infants and young children have already been subjected to this procedure. With inadequate or no follow-up of these children, we have heard and continue to hear favorable reports resulting from this procedure On the other hand, in the clinic, we encounter active cases of clinical tuberculosis among these BCGd babies and young children. This last report, together with the previous two, seems to show that BCG inoculation does not protect our poor and undernourished children from developing severe manifestations of tuberculosis, and the supposedly attenuated or harmless BCG bacilli may at times produce a severe BCG-itis. (Summary and Conclusion)