ICMR will undertake study to assess BCG booster doses for children and adolescents

Researchers at the ICMR’s National Institute for Research in TB in Chennai intend to launch research on BCG booster doses for children and adolescents who are household contacts of tuberculosis patients. The study’s goal is to determine if a booster BCG injection might prevent TB development among them. Over 9,000 youngsters will be enrolled in this programme across seven venues in India.

The major goal of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness of BCG re-vaccination versus oral chemoprophylaxis in preventing tuberculosis (TB) in household contacts aged 6 to 18 years. Children will be randomly assigned to one of two trial groups: BCG or oral chemoprophylaxis.

The Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine is one of the world’s most extensively used vaccinations for reducing the risk of spontaneous tuberculosis infection. The effectiveness of BCG vaccination in infants is widely recognised, and it has been shown to protect children from meningitis and disseminated tuberculosis.

However, BCG revaccination is fraught with ambiguity. Although it is known that BCG revaccination boosts immunological responses, it has yet to be determined if BCG revaccination can help prevent TB illness in household contacts.

“The study is a multicenter randomised controlled experiment in which two groups of healthy household contacts aged 6-18 years receive either the BCG vaccination or oral chemoprophylaxis.”

The Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine is one of the world’s most extensively used vaccinations for reducing the risk of spontaneous tuberculosis infection.

The effectiveness of BCG vaccination in infants is widely recognised, and it has been shown to protect children from meningitis and disseminated tuberculosis.

However, BCG revaccination is fraught with ambiguity. Although it is known that BCG revaccination boosts immunological responses, it has yet to be determined if BCG revaccination can help prevent TB illness in household contacts.

Also Read: Health Ministry launches community support strategies for tuberculosis patients

They will be monitored over 24 months to compare the prevalence of tuberculosis in each arm. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of BCG revaccination against oral chemoprophylaxis on the incidence of mycobacterium TB illness in healthy household contacts aged 6-18 years “According to Dr C Padmapriyadarsini, Director of NIRT.

“The ICMR has had one round of discussions with the health ministry, and another meeting is planned for next week.” There is currently no data on how many children in this age group get tuberculosis and how many die as a result of the disease “According to Dr. C Padmapriyadarsini.

“All children will be household contacts of patients with microbiologically proven pulmonary tuberculosis.” The study will also include contacts of people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Both positive and negative C-Tb skin test children will be included. Likewise, both well-fed and malnourished youngsters will be included. All children will be followed up on for 24 months after enrollment, and the incidence of tuberculosis (all kinds) will be compared across groups. The National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP) will be used to diagnose TB, and the C-TB skin test findings will be used to determine latent TB infection (LTBI).

While waiting for funding, scientists hope to begin the investigation as soon as feasible. They intend to conclude the study by 2025 in order to meet the health ministry’s TB eradication objective of 2025.

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