A Study on Tuberculin Test and B.C.G. Vaccination in the Fields of School Health

Abstract

Tuberculin test and B.C.G. vaccination have been the most fundamental measures for preventing tuberculosis, because of their great efficacy in the experimental field of clinical medicine.
It is, however, not clear that the measures have the same efficacy in the fields of health practice as in clinical medicine.
The author discussed the actual states of their application in the fields of school health practice in Okayama Prefecture.
Results are as follows.
1) Most schools have various kinds of standards for selecting examinees for the tuberculin test by reference to children's past history records. They have, however, selected children receiving B.C.G. vaccination without any reference to their past history. Moreover, he pointed out that there were many unreasonable standards found among them.
2) School health nurses often read the results of tuberculin tests and select children to receive B.C.G. vaccination.
3) There are differences in efficacy of B.C.G. vaccination among schools. In addition to this fact, the author pointed out that some of the schools have continuously a low percentage of tuberculin positive reactions during a six year period in spite of receiving a B.C.G. vaccination.
4) The author demonstrated many technical problems related to the lowness of tuberculin positive reaction rate among B.C.G. vaccinated children in the field of health practice.