TY - JOUR T1 - Bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccination: the current situation in Europe JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 24 LP - 35 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00113413 VL - 43 IS - 1 AU - Masoud Dara AU - Colleen D. Acosta AU - Valiantsin Rusovich AU - Jean Pierre Zellweger AU - Rosella Centis AU - Giovanni Battista Migliori Y1 - 2014/01/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/1/24.abstract N2 - Tuberculosis is a major public health priority. This is not only because of its daunting morbidity and mortality rates, both globally and in Europe (summarised in figs 1 and 2) [1, 3–5], but also because of the natural history of the disease. Active (contagious) tuberculosis disease occurs after a period of latency (or subclinical infection), and different risk factors [6–13], in combination with latent infection, introduce challenges to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Vaccination against tuberculosis, if effective, would be therefore critical to control and elimination strategies [14–16]. The bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine is, from a historical perspective, a milestone of tuberculosis control (figs 3–7). During the first half of the 20th century, it was administered ubiquitously throughout Europe, but is now recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be given once at birth, specifically in tuberculosis-endemic areas.Figure 1– Global estimated tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates, 2011. Reproduced from [1] with permission from the publisher. Figure 2– World Health Organization European Region estimated tuberculosis incidence rates per 100 000 population, 2011. Data from the United Nations Administrated Province of Kosovo (in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999)) is not included in the figures reported for Serbia. Reproduced from [2] with permission from the publisher. Figure 3– Wooden mask worn by health workers to announce a forthcoming vaccination campaign (Republic of Bénin). Image courtesy of J.P. Zellweger. Figure 4– “To defeat tuberculosis is easy with the BCG”. Advertisement in a peripheral tuberculosis dispensary, dating from the time of French colonisation (circa 1950) (Republic of Benin). Image courtesy of J.P. Zellweger. Figure 5– French Ministry of Health educational poster supporting bacille Calmette–Guérin vaccination. Image courtesy of J.P. Zellweger. Figure 6– Tuberculosis/HIV-infected children in Myanmar. ©2012 Matthieu Zellweger (with AIDSpartners.org)/matthieuzellweger.com. Figure 7– Romania, 1974. … ER -