BCG disease outbreak in Finland in the 2000s information

BCG disease is an adverse effect of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine. The vaccine contains living Mycobacterium bovis BCG, and in BCG disease, the bacterium causes a disease in vaccinated persons. Between 2000 and 2006, several hundred children in Finland had serious adverse reactions from the vaccine, including osteitis and osteomyelitis, disseminated (usually fatal) BCG infection, arthritis, and lymph node abscesses.^[1] Four deaths were registered in the official adverse event register, and while in only two cases a clear causal link was considered to be in place, two other cases were diagnosed with a disease that in scientific peer-reviewed articles (case descriptions) have been mistakenly first made, and afterward have been noticed to be disseminated BCG infections. One death with a causal link considered established by the adverse event monitoring agency was vaccinated with pre-August 2002 vaccine (Evans), while the three other registered deaths were with the new post-August 2002 vaccine (BCG vaccine SSI).