A vaccine that was routinely used in Australia until the 1980s
to prevent tuberculosis could reduce the rate of allergies and
infections in children.
Researchers from Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, The
University of Melbourne and Mercy Hospital for Women are
collaborating to study the effect of giving babies Bacillus
Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine at birth. They believe the vaccine's
beneficial non-specific effects could boost children's immunity to
help protect against allergic disease and infections.
The Melbourne Infant Study: BCG for Allergy & Infection
Reduction (MIS BAIR) aims to recruit 1400 newborn babies and give
half of them the BCG vaccine. They hope the study will show whether
the vaccine could help reduce the rapidly increasing rate of
allergic disease in Australia and other developed countries. The
prevalence of allergic diseases such as eczema, food allergy, hay
fever and asthma has increased dramatically over the past few
decades, affecting an estimated 20% of the population in developed
countries, especially children.
Professor Nigel Curtis, from Murdoch Childrens, who is leading
the trial, says the vaccine is known to have a beneficial effect on
immunity. "It could be a simple and safe once-off preventative
measure to reduce the chance of children suffering infections and
allergies in later life."
"The World Health Organization currently recommends that BCG
vaccine be given at birth to all infants in most countries to
protect against tuberculosis. It is given to approximately 120
million of the 133 million infants born every year, making it one
of the most widely-used vaccines. This means that the safety
profile is clearly established."
As a result of the declining prevalence of tuberculosis, routine
vaccination with BCG was stopped in Australia and a number of other
developed countries in the mid 1980s.
"If giving the BCG vaccine at birth is found to be effective,
it's reintroduction into the routine Australian immunisation
programme could lead to a reduction in allergic disorders in the
population, and would result in a significant increase in quality
of life for children and their families."
BCG immunisation may reduce allergic diseases and infection by
influencing how the immune system develops from an early age. The
vaccine encourages the infant's immune system to develop in a way
that is better in fighting respiratory and other infections and
less prone to allergic diseases.
There has been considerable progress in developing new, more
specific vaccines against tuberculosis in developing
countries. However, researchers are concerned that if the BCG
vaccine is replaced, the beneficial effects of BCG would be lost
which might have an unintentional impact on morbidity and mortality
in these countries. .
Researchers are currently recruiting to the study. For more
information or to be involved in the study, please call 03 9936
6042 or register your interest at
www.misbair.org.au.
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