Abstract

This position paper replaces the 2004 WHO position paper on Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and the 2007 WHO revised BCG vaccination guidelines for infants at risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It incorporates recent developments in the field of tuberculosis, provides revised guidance on the immunization of children infected with HIV, and re-emphasizes the importance of the BCG birth dose.

This position paper also includes recommendations on the use of BCG for the prevention of leprosy. Recommendations on the use of BCG vaccines were discussed by SAGE in October 2017; evidence presented at the meeting can be accessed at: www.who.int/immunization/sage/meetings/2017/october/presentations_background_docs/en/.

  • SAGE