opv + bcg

OPV + BCG refers to the simultaneous administration of two live attenuated vaccines at birth or in early infancy: - Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), which contains live, attenuated polioviruses and is used to prevent poliomyelitis by inducing mucosal and systemic immunity against poliovirus. - Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which contains a live, attenuated strain of Mycobacterium bovis and is used primarily for the prevention of severe forms of tuberculosis (TB), such as TB meningitis and miliary TB in children. Both vaccines are commonly administered together at birth in many countries with high prevalence of polio and tuberculosis. OPV works by stimulating an immune response against all three types of wild poliovirus (depending on formulation), while BCG induces cellular immunity that protects against severe TB. The combination is not a single product but rather co-administration according to national immunization schedules. Studies have shown that simultaneous administration may influence immune responses; for example, OPV given with BCG can reduce certain cytokine responses to purified protein derivative (PPD) from M. tuberculosis. Both vaccines are contraindicated in individuals with severe immunodeficiency due to risk of disseminated infection.

Other names

opv + bcg