The retrospective assessment of the effectiveness of BCG vaccination by multiple puncture method (Kuchiki's needle) was examined in childhood tuberculosis patients treated at our hospital.
They were 137 children aged 0 month to 15 years.Seventy-nine of them were vaccinated with BCG and 58 of them were not vaccinated.Forty-seven patients had been vaccinated at 3 to 4 months after birth, and excluding 2 cases who were revaccinated thereafter the remaining 45 patients were compared with unvaccinated 58 patients.
Following results were obtained.
1. Vaccinated 45 patients.
1) Within 3 months after the vaccination, 6 children showed breakdown of tuberculosis. Two of them were miliary tuberculosis. Three patients were positive bacteriologic findings. They were supposid to be infected before BCG vaccination or before the appearance of immunity by BCG vaccination.
2) From 4 months to 2 years after the vaccination, 12 children showed breakdown of tuberculosis, but they were all mild type and all of them were negative bacteriologic findings.
3) After 2 years or more from the vaccination, 27 children showed breakdown of tuberculosis. Three of them were positive bacteriologic findings.
2.Unvaccinated 58 patients.
1) Thirty-seven patients, aged 0 month to 2 years and 4 months, showed breakdown of tuberculosis. Seventeen patients were positive bacteriologic findings. Three cases of tuberculous meningitis (2 of them died) and 2 cases of miliary tuberculosis were observed. Paratracheal lymph node swelling was recognized in 5 cases, and bronchostenosis due to compression was seen in 4 cases (one of them died).
2) Twenty-one patients were more than 2 years and 5 months old. Eight of them were positive bacteriologic findings.
Taking high coverage of BCG vaccination in Japan-especially in Tokyo-into consideration, BCG vaccination by multiple puncture method is useful to decrease childhood tuberculosis in particular progression of serious types such as tuberculous meningitis, miliarly tuberculosis and bacillary tuberculosis.
