OSTEITIS AFTER NEWBORN VACCINATION WITH 3 DIFFERENT BACILLUS-CALMETTE-GUERIN VACCINES - TWENTY-9 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Newborns in Finland have been vaccinated with Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) since the 1950s. Until the end of 1970 the vaccine was made fro m BCG strain Gothenburg by the Swedish BCG laboratory in Gothenburg an d from 1971 on from the same strain in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was rep laced by the Glare vaccine in 1978. Complications caused by BCG vaccin ation have been under follow-up, and the data have been collected from nationwide registers. In this study we analyzed the incidence rates o f BCG osteitis between the years 1960 and 1988. From 1960 to 1970 the incidence rate was from 2.7 to 13.0/100 000 BCG-vaccinated infants (me an, 7.3; median, 6.9). The incidence increased during the years 1971 t o 1978 when it varied between 15.3 and 72.9/100 000 BCG-vaccinated inf ants (mean, 36.9; median, 30.4). Since 1978 the incidence has varied b etween 1.7 and 10.1/100 000 BCG-vaccinated infants (mean, 6.4; median, 7.2). In Britain no reports of BCG osteitis have been published despi te the use of the same Glare vaccine. Our results indicate that the in cidence of BCG osteitis in a given population depends on the BCG vacci ne used. The follow-up of BCG complications is an essential part of BC G vaccination program.