Prospects for the BCG vaccination programme in France

Until recently, the French BCG vaccination programme consisted of a mandatory BCG vaccination before children started at daycare centres, and of re-vaccination of tuberculin-negative children. A re-assessment of this programme has been undertaken in recent years. It has led to the discontinuation of all revaccinations and post-vaccination tuberculin tests except those post-vaccination tuberculin tests performed as part of a diagnosis of tuberculosis infection or disease or of the follow-up of health or social workers for whom BCG vaccination remains mandatory. Based on an estimate of the epidemiological impact of either selective vaccination of high risk children or discontinuation of BCG vaccination, and taking into account the risk-benefit balance that can be made of the two options, the Conseil Supérieur d’Hygiène Publique de France (CSHPF, national high council of public hygiene) has recommended a change to selective vaccination. However, the committee has proposed the strengthening of other control measures aimed at decreasing the risk of infection for children, as a pre-requisite to the implementation of this strategy. This position is made more complex by the withdrawal of the multipuncture technique in early 2006, previously used in France in more than 90% of BCG primary vaccinations.