Is Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine a known risk factor for latent tuberculosis infection?: A cross-sectional study on 180 new immigrants from BCG-vaccinated countries to Kuwait

Abstract

The Bacelle Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine has existed for 90 years and is the most widely used of all current national childhood immunization programmes. The impact of BCG vaccination on transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is not clear or whether BCG confers lifelong immunity through sufficient protection against formation and diagnosis of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is recently questionable especially in tuberculosis endemic regions and vaccinated high risk individuals, which was discussed along the paper work following a new evidencebased criteria for LTBI diagnosis. © 2012 Harbie AA, et al.