ICMR to conduct study to assess BCG booster dose for kids and teens

National

Researchers from the ICMR’s National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis in Chennai want to conduct a study on BCG booster doses for children and adolescents who live in the homes of tuberculosis patients. The study’s purpose is to see if a booster BCG shot can help them avoid developing tuberculosis. This initiative will enroll over 9,000 children in seven locations across 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.

“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.