Tuberculosis has been known to people since ancient times.. And although for many years medicine has made great strides in the prevention and treatment of this disease, to this day, tuberculosis is a socially significant and dangerous infectious disease., relevant not only for the Republic of Belarus, but for the whole world.

Every year, several million people develop active tuberculosis and some of them die from this disease.. In the world, the epidemiological situation of tuberculosis (TB) still tense.

Why is tuberculosis dangerous?? Tuberculosis is an infectious disease. The causative agent of tuberculosis was discovered by R. Koch in 1882 r. Is mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) or bacteria (wand) Love (BK). Infection occurs mainly through the aerogenic route from patients, which release an infectious aerosol with phlegm when coughing, sneezing and talking.

Dangerous for tuberculosis, that in the initial phases of this disease, symptoms may be absent or only slightly manifested, and a patient who is not identified in time poses a great danger to others. Tubercle bacillus persists well in the environment, including in unventilated rooms, therefore, you can become infected with tuberculosis by inhaling the smallest particles, containing the causative agent of the disease. Much less, but it is still possible to become infected by eating milk and dairy products from cows with tuberculosis, and also through subjects, infected with a sick person.

The causative agent of tuberculosis can infect not only the lungs of a person, but also bones, lymphatic system, kidneys, brain, meninges, eyes, intestines, skin. Usually, extrapulmonary tuberculosis is much more difficult to detect, than pulmonary tuberculosis. Moreover, treatment of any form of tuberculosis, even if it started on time- this is a long process. Currently, in the context of increased population migration, including from countries with a high incidence of tuberculosis, as well as the presence of people in society, evading examination and treatment, prevention of this disease is more relevant than ever, the leading place in which belongs to vaccination against tuberculosis.

Worldwide recognized as the main vaccine drug, widely used for specific prevention of tuberculosis, BCG vaccine remains. Weakened, lost virulence (ability to cause disease) Mycobacterium tuberculosis was obtained by Calmette and Guerin by long-term reseeding (230 consecutive passages during 13 years) Bovine MBT on a special nutrient medium. Discovery of the vaccine strain by French scientists Calmette and Guerin, which has been immortalized in the acronym BCG (BCG - bacielle Calmette Guerin) was a turning point in the development of specific prevention of tuberculosis.

TO 1928 r. Clinical observations have already accumulated on children from the environment of bacteria-releasing bacteria, who received BCG vaccine during the neonatal period, confirming its effectiveness in reducing morbidity and mortality from tuberculosis. Numerous and thorough studies of scientists around the world have confirmed the harmlessness and immunogenicity of the BCG vaccine.. BCG vaccine prevents the development of severe (generalized) forms of tuberculosis: tuberculous meningitis, miliary tuberculosis. Vaccine mycobacterium BCG strain, lead to the development of long-term immunity to this disease.

Currently, immunization with BCG vaccine is mandatory in 64 countries and officially recommended in 118 countries and territories, and

Conducted with the use of BCG and BCG-M vaccines (with reduced antigen content) within the framework of the National Calendars of Preventive Vaccinations.

Since the early introduction of BCG vaccine provides protection against the most dangerous clinical forms of tuberculosis, such as miliary tuberculosis (acutely progressive widespread form of tuberculosis with a high probability of death) and tuberculosis of the meninges, WHO recommends administering BCG to newborns as a means of protection against these most severe forms of the disease.

In our country, vaccination against tuberculosis is carried out for healthy children at 3-5 24 hours after birth in the maternity hospital with weakened BCG-M vaccine. If the child has not been vaccinated at the maternity hospital, then he is vaccinated at the clinic at the place of residence. At the site of intradermal administration of the BCG vaccine, a specific reaction develops in the form of a papule (elevation above skin level) the size 5-10 mm in diameter.

In newborns, a normal vaccine reaction occurs after 4-6 weeks. The reaction undergoes a reverse development during 2-3 months, sometimes even longer. The reaction site should be protected from mechanical irritation., especially during water procedures.

In vaccinated people, a scar forms at the site of vaccination. Re-vaccination against tuberculosis (revaccination) not currently held. Complications after vaccination against tuberculosis are rare (0,02%) and are usually local in nature. But it's important to remember, that the complications of the disease itself are much more serious, than vaccine complications. And if a complication has arisen in a child on the introduction of a weakened strain of bacteria, then in the absence of vaccination, the likelihood of illness is high when meeting with a real infection.

Mantoux and Diaskintest samples are not a vaccine., these are diagnostic tests. They are used to identify the moment the child's body meets with a tuberculosis infection., in order to carry out all the necessary measures to prevent the disease in time.

In conditions, when the number of multidrug-resistant TB patients increased, when there is a possibility of contracting a tuberculosis infection that does not respond to treatment, the very minimum, what we can do for our children is to protect them with BCG vaccination.

Illustrations are provided by Internet sources.

Phthisiologist of the phthisiology department №5 (for kids)

health care institutions "MKTsFP"

Mikhalyuk ER.

Phthisiologist of the phthisiology department №5 (for kids)

health care institutions "MKTsFP"

Lisichkina EV.

17.03.2021