BCG revaccination does not protect against leprosy in the Brazilian Amazon: a cluster randomised trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although BCG has been found to impart protection against leprosy in many populations, the utility of repeat or booster BCG vaccinations is still unclear. When a policy of giving a second BCG dose to school children in Brazil was introduced, a trial was conducted to assess its impact against tuberculosis, and a leprosy component was then undertaken in parallel.

Objective

to estimate the protection against leprosy imparted by a second dose of BCG given to schoolchildren.

Methods and findings

This is a cluster randomised community trial, with 6 years and 8 months of follow-up.

Study site

City of Manaus, Amazon region, a leprosy-endemic area in Brazil.

Participants

99,770 school children with neonatal BCG (aged 7-14 years at baseline), of whom 42,

SUBMITTER: Cunha SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2238709 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature