Czech Health Ministry Revokes Requirement That Children Receive Second BCG Vaccine at Age 11
The Czech Ministry of Health this month revoked a requirement that children receive a second BCG vaccination against tuberculosis at age 11 despite criticism from some health experts, the CTK Daily News reports. Children in the country receive an initial BCG vaccine as infants. Parents still can have their children revaccinated at age 11 but will have to cover the cost of the vaccine, which is about 100 Czech koruna, or approximately $5, the Daily News reports.
Michael Vit, chief sanitary officer, said the health ministry decided to change the vaccine requirement for 11-year-olds because of a "decreasing number of people suffering from" TB. He added that the new regulation is in line with recommendations from the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Vit said that the Czech Republic and Slovakia are the only European Union countries that revaccinate children at age 11. "There is even a European Union recommendation that children should not be vaccinated against TB shortly after birth," Vit said, noting that the Czech Republic will continue to provide the BCG vaccine to infants.
Pavla Nykodymova -- chief physician in the lung diseases department at Ricany Hospital, which is near the Czech capital of Prague -- criticized the decision. According to Nykodymova, more people from countries with high TB burdens -- such as Mongolia, Romania, Ukraine and Vietnam -- are coming to the Czech Republic, leading to an increased risk of TB (CTK Daily News, 1/13).