Drug reference

bacillus calmette-guérin vaccine

Live attenuated bacterial vaccine · Vaccine for tuberculosis, Immunotherapy adjuvant

Live attenuated bacterial vaccineVaccine for tuberculosis, Immunotherapy adjuvant

CDSCO approved

EXCRETION

—

not curated

INTERACTIONS

—

none in our sources

PREGNANCY

—

not curated

Mechanism

It is a live vaccine bearing an attenuated bovine strain of M. tuberculosis. It works by enhancing resistance to tubercular infection and also by stimulating the reticuloendothelial system to enhance immunity nonspecifically.

Indications

Enhance resistance to tubercular infectionAdjuvant in immunotherapy of cancerAdjuvant in some other conditions

Dosing

Adult: 0.1 ml injected intracutaneously in the left deltoid region. Tuberculine testing done beforehand, given only to negative responders.
Pediatric: 0.05 ml (in neonate) or 0.1 ml (older individuals) injected intracutaneously in the left deltoid region at birth. For children, tuberculine testing done beforehand, given only to negative responders.

Pharmacokinetics

Duration

Partial and not entirely predictable

Contraindications

Tuberculine positive individuals
Compromised host defence (including HIV positive children)
Pregnancy

Side effects

Common

Red painless papule (appears after 7–10 days, reaches 8 mm diameter in 5 weeks, may ulcerate, scales and dries in 3 months, heals in 6 months)Swelling of axillary lymph node