BCG VACCINE

 

The BCG laboratory of Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh city (formely, the BCG laboratory of Pasteur Institute in Saigon) was founded by Dr. Albert Calmette in 1924, and was one of the earliest BCG vaccine production laboratories in the world.

This laboratory was officially recognized by the World Health Organization for the first time in 1951 and again in 1955.

In 1986, the BCG laboratory was rebuilt and was equipped by Governmental Organizations and French Non-Governmental Organization as: the French-Vietnamese Friendship Association, French Ministry of Health, Pasteur Institute Paris, European communion. The personnel were also trained by the Pasteur Institute Paris. Since then, the BCG vaccine has been prepared by the same standardized modern technique of the Pasteur Institute Paris and other South East Asian laboratories.

At first, the laboratory produced fresh BCG vaccine (liquid vaccine form).

Since 1970, the freeze dried BCG vaccine has been prepared.

At present, the BCG vaccine produced by Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh city always meets the requirements of National Center for Control of Vaccine and Medico Biological, MOH, Viet Nam and also meets the requirements of the World Health Organization on the quality of freeze dried BCG vaccine.

Under the control of the Pasteur Institute Paris, the BCG vaccine produced from 1997 to 1999 met the requirements for freeze dried BCG vaccine.

An evaluation of the Statens Serum Institute in Holland certified the sterilization of 30 BCG vaccine lots in 1999.

 

Annual production:

-          BCG vaccine for Expanded Program Immunization: 1.6 million to 2 million doses per year.

-          BCG vaccine for therapy: dependent on the number of patients and prescriptions issued.

 

BCG strain:

The vaccine is prepared from the French strain 1173 P2 lot C, which is provided by the Pasteur Institute in Paris every year.

 

 

BCG strain:

The Calmette and Guerin bacillus (abbreviated to BCG) was derived from Mycobacterium bovis, a strain that causes bovine tuberculosis. Its virulence was attenuated and the strain stabilized in non-virulent form between 1908 and 1921 by 230 successive passages on media impregnated with beef bile. The resulting strain, the BCG variant, differed from the parent strain by losing its pathogenic potential. However, most importantly, the strain retained its immunogenicity since it could produce a delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) to tuberculin and could protect against virulent strains of M. bovis.

Tröïc khuaån Calmette vaø Gueùrin (ñöôïc vieát taét laø BCG) coù nguoàn goác töø vi khuaån Mycobacterium bovis, moät chuûng vi khuaån gaây beänh lao ôû boø. Chuûng vi khuaån naøy ñöôïc giaûm ñoäc löïc qua 230 laàn nuoâi caáy lieân tieáp treân moâi tröôøng khoai taây maät boø töø 1908 – 1921. Chuûng BCG khaùc chuûng vi khuaån goác ôû tính chaát khoâng gaây beänh, nhöng ñaëc tính quan troïng nhaát laø vi khuaån BCG coù theå taïo ñöôïc phaûn öùng quaù maãn muoän vôùi tuberculin vaø baûo veä cô theå khoûi bò beänh lao.

 

Licensing and registration:

-          The manufacturing of vaccine is licensed by the Ministry of Health of VietNam

-          Registration number: VNDP – 106-0802

1.       BCG vaccine for Expanded Program Immunization:

Form and presentation:

·         1mg per ampoule (20 doses per ampoule)

 Dosage:

-          Infants under 12 months: 0.05mg/0.1ml vaccine

1 ampoule of freeze dried vaccine (1mg vaccine) + 2ml solvent

1 injection of 0.1ml by intradermal route

-          Infants up 12 months: 0.1mg/0.1ml vaccine

1 ampoule of freeze dried vaccine (1mg vaccine) + 1ml solvent

1 injection of 0.1ml by intradermal route

·         0.5mg per ampoule (10 doses per ampoule)

Dosage:

-          Infants under 12 months: 0.05mg/0.1ml vaccine

1 ampoule of freeze dried vaccine (1mg vaccine) + 1ml solvent

1 injection of 0.1ml by intradermal route

 

 

  1. BCG vaccine for therapy: dependent on the number of patients and prescriptions issued.

Form and presentation:

·         40mg per ampoule

 

Efficacy of the BCG vaccine:

1.        BCG vaccine for Expanded Program Immunization (1mg, 0.5mg vaccine per ampoule): this vaccine aims to prevent tuberculosis in infants.

2.        BCG vaccine for therapy: this vaccine has a very high colony forming unit count that has a role in stimulating the immune response. Some authors consider that BCG vaccine therapy could prevent the recurrence of tumors. The BCG vaccine was administered to the superficial bladder cancer patients who have had an operation or treatment with Mytocin C.

The study of Harry W. Herr et al. showed a good result with BCG vaccine in the treatment of early stage superficial bladder cancer patients with randomized trial of 86 superficial bladder cancer patients, grade Ta, T1, Tis, 10 year follow-up.