BCG vaccination: survey among children less than 5 years of age in an emergency department

• Published in: Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Société française de pédiatrie Vol. 21; no. 5; pp. 454 - 460
• Main Authors: Vernaz, A, Gaudart, J, Sallah, K, Casanova, L, Debroise, A, Laporte, R, Minodier, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01.05.2014
• Subjects: BCG Vaccine - administration & dosage; Child, Preschool; Cooperative Behavior; Emergency Service, Hospital - statistics & numerical data; Female; France; Health Literacy; Health Surveys; Humans; Infant; Interdisciplinary Communication; Male; Mass Vaccination - utilization; Parents - education; Risk Factors; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - prevention & control; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - transmission; France
• ISSN: 1769-664X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.arcped.2014.02.030

France is a country with a low incidence of tuberculosis. However, there are important local variations: some parts of the city of Marseilles (southern France) presented a yearly incidence greater than 30/100,000 in 2010. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the BCG vaccine coverage among at-risk children younger than 5 years consulting in one of the city's pediatric emergency departments. This descriptive study took place in February 2013 and used a semi-directive questionnaire distributed to parents. One hundred and thirty-five children were included, 98 (72.6 %) were considered as being at risk of tuberculosis and among them 75 (76.5 %, 95 % CI [68.0-85.1]) were vaccinated with BCG. Parents' knowledge of tuberculosis was relevant in 48 % of the respondents. Only 19 % of the parents reported that BCG protects against tuberculosis, but 73 % were in favor of this vaccination. Two criteria significantly increased vaccine coverage among at-risk children: birth in Marseilles and age more than 6 months on the consultation day. The child living in a poor family and type of medical follow-up did not significantly influence BCG vaccine coverage. BCG coverage was high in at-risk children younger than 5 years born in Marseilles. Cooperation between private physicians, maternity hospitals and mothers, and children's public health services probably facilitates this high level of protection.