BCG vaccination following latent TB treatment: Possible implications for different settings

Abstract

Despite much progress globally, TB is still one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Several studies have shown the importance of implementing different preventive strategies alongside treatment of TB disease, including BCG vaccination and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Large-scale population level LTBI treatment is not currently part of WHO guidelines which recommend LTBI treatment only to high risk populations. Moreover, BCG has been widely used in the past decades to both prevent infection with M. tuberculosis and reduce rates of reactivation. In this viewpoint we discuss the hypothesis of BCG vaccination following latent TB treatment and its potential impact across different settings. Keywords: Latent TB, BCG, Vaccination