BCG SCAR SURVEY AMONG PRIMARY-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN KENYA (1986-1990)

Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccination is essential in the control of tuberculosis (TB) especially in countries like Kenya where TB is s till a public health problem and BCG is given to all children at birth as a matter of policy. The present survey was launched in 1986 to ass ess both BCG vaccination coverage and to compare its findings with the 1979/81 BCG scar survey results. Using random cluster sampling proced ures, all primary school children aged 6-13 years from schools in each of 12 districts were included in the survey. A total of 46357 school children were registered. Of these, 3642 (7.9%) were excluded from the survey for a variety of reasons. Of the remaining 42715 (92.1%) child ren, 26781 (62.7%) had BCG scars present. Overall there was a signific ant upward trend of 15% in BCG vaccination coverage in the country. Ho wever, in some districts the coverage was found to have fallen quite s ignificantly.