| Nature of adverse event | Description | Rate/doses |
| Mild | Injection site papule (onset 2–4 weeks) | |
| Mild ulceration (1–2 months) | Almost all vaccinees | |
| Scar (2–5 months) | ||
| Severe | Local | |
| Local abscess | ||
| Keloid | ||
| Lymphadenitis | ||
| Suppuration (onset 2–6 months) | 1 per 1000–10 000 | |
| Systemic (onset 1–12 months) | ||
| Cutaneous skin lesions | Case reports only | |
| Osteitis | 1 per 3333–108 | |
| Disseminated BCG | 1 per 230 000–640 000 | |
| Immune reconstitution syndrome | 1 per 640 000 |
BCG: bacille Calmette–Guérin. Modified from [12].