BCG should be given: September 2005

Ans. A: Immediately after bih Bacillus Calmette-Guerin/BCG is a vaccine against tuberculosis that is prepared from a strain of the attenuated (weakened) live bovine tuberculosis bacillus, Mycobacterium bovis, that has lost its virulence in humans by being specially cultured in an aificial medium for years. The bacilli have retained enough strong antigenicity to become a somewhat effective vaccine for the prevention of human tuberculosis. It should be given at bih. If missed at bih, it should be given at 6 weeks as per Indian National Immunization Schedule.