Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccination is essential in the control of tuberculosis (TB) especially in countries like Kenya where TB is still a public health problem and BCG is given to all children at birth as a matter of policy. The present survey was launched in 1986 to assess both BCG vaccination coverage and to compare its findings with the 1979/81 BCG scar survey results. Using random cluster sampling procedures, all primary school children aged 6-13 years from schools in each of 12 districts were included in the survey. A total of 46357 school children were registered. Of these, 3642 (7.9%) were excluded from the survey for a variety of reasons. Of the remaining 42715 (92.1%) children, 26781 (62.7%) had BCG scars present. Overall there was a significant upward trend of 15% in BCG vaccination coverage in the country. However, in some districts the coverage was found to have fallen quite significantly.
PIP: In 1986-1990, researchers conducted a BCG scar survey in 360 randomly selected primary schools in 12 districts in Kenya to determine BCG vaccination coverage. They used primary schools because more than 70% of all school age children were enrolled in school. They compared this survey's findings with those of the 1979-1981 BCG scar house-to-house survey. The districts included Elgeyo Marakwet, Kakamega, Kilifi, Kisii, Kitui, Siagya, Kwale, Meru, Muranga, Nakuru, Nairobi, and South Nyanza. The ages of the 42,715 healthy children ranged from 6-13 years old. 26,781 (62.7%) children had a BCG scar, indicating that the National Tuberculosis Control Program had not yet reached its target of 70% BCG vaccination coverage. Nairobi had the highest BCG coverage, while Kisii district had the lowest BCG coverage (82.73% vs. 44.01%). BCG coverage decreased as age increased (p .001). For example, 6-year-old males and females had a BCG coverage rate of 64.43% and 62.39%, respectively, while the corresponding figures for 13-year-olds were 52.93% and 49.13%. BCG vaccination coverage increased significantly between the two surveys (an increase of 15%) (60.8% vs. 62.7%; p .01). South Nyanza district experienced the greatest improvement in BCG coverage between the 2 surveys, while Kilifi district experienced the greatest decline in coverage. The greatest upward trend was observed in the Western and Rift Valley provinces, while the greatest downward trend was observed in the Coast and Eastern provinces.