BCG-Bulgaria

BCG-Bulgaria is a live attenuated vaccine derived from the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) strain used for the prevention of tuberculosis (TB). The Bulgarian formulation was developed by Dr. Srebra Rodopska in the mid-20th century and is based on the Moscow BCG I strain, which was selected for its lower residual virulence and high immunogenicity. Since 1951, it has been used in Bulgaria as a mandatory intradermal immunization for newborns and has contributed to a significant reduction in TB incidence and mortality. The lyophilized thermostable version of this vaccine has been distributed globally since 1964. The mechanism of action involves stimulating an immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis by introducing live attenuated mycobacteria that induce both specific T-cell responses and broader trained immunity effects. Recent studies have shown that different strains of BCG can elicit varying immune profiles; specifically, infants vaccinated with BCG-Bulgaria tend to develop predominantly single-cytokine CD4+ T cell responses rather than polyfunctional ones[2][5][6]. The vaccine is prequalified by WHO and supplied internationally through UNICEF.

Brand names

BCG-Bulgaria

Other names

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin BulgariaBB-NCIPDBCG-SL 222 Sofia strainBCG-SL222 Sofia strainBCG-SL-222 Sofia strainBulgarian BCG vaccine