Mexico City – The Mexican Ministry of Health anticipates the nationwide redistribution of the BCG vaccine against tuberculosis will be completed within 15 days, following months of reported shortages. The vaccine, crucial for protecting newborns against severe forms of tuberculosis like meningeal and miliary tuberculosis, experienced supply disruptions linked to a change in headquarters and health registration of the manufacturing laboratory-a situation impacting multiple countries.
More than three million doses are currently ready for distribution through the public health system,aiming to restore free access and alleviate the financial burden on families who previously sought the vaccine in the private sector.
The BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) vaccine is a component of Mexico’s National Vaccination Scheme,recommended for administration from birth to 30 days of age,and can be given up to 14 years old. In 2022, Mexico registered over 28,000 cases of tuberculosis.
While considered safe by the World Health Association, the vaccine can cause localized discomfort or inflammation of lymph nodes in the armpit, typically resolving without intervention.
Vaccination is postponed or avoided for individuals with allergies to vaccine components, fever exceeding 38.5 degrees Celsius, skin lesions at the injection site, leukemia, cancer, those undergoing immunosuppressive treatments (corticosteroids, chemotherapy, radiation), or with symptomatic AIDS. Newborns weighing less than 2 kilograms should also delay vaccination until reaching that weight. Individuals carrying HIV without symptoms are eligible to receive the vaccine.
