Evidence behind the WHO guidelines: hospital care for children: What is the evidence that BCG vaccination should not be used in HIV-infected children?
Abstract
The World Health Organization has produced guidelines for the management of common illnesses in hospitals with limited resources. This series reviews the scientific evidence behind WHO’s recommendations.
The WHO guidelines, and more reviews are available at: http://www.ichrc.org This review addresses the question: What is the evidence that BCG vaccination should not be used in HIV-infected children? The WHO Pocketbook of Hospital Care for Children recommends children who have or who are suspected to have human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection but are not yet symptomatic should be given all appropriate vaccines including Bacillus Calmette–Gue´rin (BCG). (Pocketbook chapter 8.3.1, p. 214). This guideline has been updated in 2007 as discussed below to withhold BCG in HIV-infected children regardless of symptomatology.
Authors
Bannister C, Bennett L, Carville A, Azzopardi P.
Year
2009
Topics
- Population(s)
- Children or Youth (less than 18 years old)
- Co-infections
- Tuberculosis
