Since March 29, the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis, marketed by the Sanofi laboratory, is out of stock. The laboratory, in agreement with the National Medicines Safety Agency (ANSM) has therefore chosen to provide maternity wards, PMI services (maternal and child protection) and vaccination centers but “on an exceptional and temporary basis”, vaccine units initially intended for the Polish market.
This provision is accompanied by new instructions for the attention of doctors because the Polish vaccine does not appear like the one usually distributed in France.
HCSP recommendations
Faced with this shortage of vaccines, the High Council for Public Health recommends giving priority to the provision of structures used to performing group vaccinations (PMI centers, CLAT, vaccination centers, maternities) “in order not to lose doses of vaccine, it being packaged in multi-doses”.
However, medical offices (general medicine, pediatrics) “wishing to organize group vaccination sessions can also have access to vaccines subject to solving logistical problems (supply, cold chain, storage)” underlines the HCSP.
Who are the priority children?
When there is a shortage of vaccines, an order of priority has been established for immunizing children against tuberculosis. Priorities are:
• all newborns in Guyana and Mayotte before leaving the maternity ward.
• in other departments, including those of Ile-de-France, children under 5 years of age with an identified risk factor for tuberculosis (excluding the only residence in Ile-de-France). This vaccination is performed without prior tuberculin testing until the age of three months.
Children under 5 years of age whose only risk is residing in Ile-de-France only arrive at the second level of priority.
Children over 5 years old, and in particular “child travelers”, can be vaccinated in structures such as tuberculosis control centers (CLAT).
Read also :
Infographic: the simplified immunization schedule for children
Vaccines: how do they work in our body?
