Abstract
BCG has been vaccinated for leprosy contact children (under 14 j) from 1963 to 1976 in Okinawa, in order to prevent leprosy.
The total number of BCG vaccinated children was 951, who were examined after 3, 6, 8, 10 and 13 years to follow-up onset of leprosy. Ten contact children among 534 have developed leprosy by 6 years-examination and its incidence rate was 18.7 _??_. No leprosy cases have been detected by after 3, 8, 10 and 13 years' examination. Theincidence rate by contact tracing examination for BCG unvaccinated contact children in same period and at same plase was 20.6‰.
No special difference was observed in leprosy incidence rate between two groups. The incidence rate of BCG trial in Okinawa was higher than other trials in foreign countries, because lepromatous ratio in Okinawa field was higher than other places and index cases with whom children contacted were mainly lepromatous type. oreoverchildren had contacted with lepromatous index cases before they were vaccinated with BCG and they already might be infected with leprosy bacilli.
So it seems that no noticeable effect was observed in BCG trial in Okinawa.
