[BCG-vaccination in the GDR--retrospective and prospective view (author's transl)].

A retrospective evaluation of BCG-vaccination from 1951--1977 shows the good effect on the number of TB-diseases especially among children. In former years with an annually infection-risk of 6--10% we found a big difference between TB-diseases in vaccinated and non-vaccinated persons. With the decreasing infections-risk (1977 0,05%) the absolute number and difference of diseases in vaccinated and non-vaccinated have become smaller and smaller. Nevertheless the decision was made to continue the BCG-vaccination of new-borns and pupils of 16 years in order to avoid also the last few cases of TB in children. The used BCG-vaccine produced in Jena/DDR has proved its immunogenic effect and caused very few complications. Till 1977 among nearly 10 millions of vaccinations only 68, mostly slight complications were registered.