Question

In BCG vaccine, BCG stands for:

Answer 1

BCG stands for Bacille Calmette Guerin. It is a vaccine used against the disease tuberculosis. It is also used for buruli ulcer infection and mycobacteria infection.

Complete answer:
BCG vaccine is a WHO approved vaccine. B stands for bacillus CG stands for calmette-Guerin. - It was first medically introduced and used on patients in 1921. By 2004 it was supplied globally treating millions of people per year.
- It is used against tuberculosis. It is also used against buruli ulcer infection and mycobacteria infection.
- It is also a part of treatment in case of bladder cancer.
- In countries where tuberculosis is common, it is administered close to birth of the child.
- It is a live bacteria vaccine. It was initially developed from a live bacteria from the cow i.e mycobacterium bovis. It is administered percutaneously i.e through the skin.
- The protective effect of the vaccine lasts for around 20 years.

There has not been any serious effects of the vaccine reported like,
Mild pain, redness and swelling may or may not be seen at the site of injection which subsides on its own. A small ulcer can also be seen which heals eventually leading to a scar.
The administration of vaccines is to be avoided in a pregnant female to avoid teratogenicity.

Note: BCG vaccine is a live vaccine i.e it has mycobacterium bovis obtained from cows. It is used against tuberculosis in both children and adults. It is also used for buruli ulcer infection and mycobacteria infection. As of march 2020, it has also been seen that the BCG vaccine is effective for the treatment of COVID-19 but no specific proof exists to prove it yet.