Tuberculin (Mantoux) Test Reaction in BCG-vaccinated Children

Abstract

Summary: The present study was undertaken in order to assess the rate of tuberculin conversion in a society where BCG vaccination had been compulsory for 10 years. Out of 148 children who were Mantoux-tested, 59 satisfied the criteria for analysis and of these, 96.6 percent were negative, while 1.7 percent was positive. Since most of the children were younger than five years, this finding suggests that there might have been some faults in the BCG programme. It is therefore, recommended that further sample Mantoux testing, shortly after BCG vaccination, should be undertaken so as to determine the exact BCG conversion rate. If this rate is confirmed to be equally low, then there would be justification in reviewing the storage and transportation arrangements for the vaccine.