Danillovski on the suspension of BCG vaccination: A temporary decision, parents should not worry

Physician Dragan Danillovski commented today on reports concerning the BCG vaccine, stressing that parents’ concern is understandable, particularly at a time when distrust of vaccination is spreading rapidly.

According to him, the temporary suspension of the use of the BCG vaccine in Croatia has attracted attention in Macedonia as well. Macedonia’s Immunization Commission has decided to temporarily postpone BCG vaccination until complete data are obtained on the safety signal currently being investigated in Croatia.

Danillovski emphasizes that such reports can easily cause uncertainty, especially among parents who are already confronted with information and views expressing distrust of vaccines. Nevertheless, he advises that the situation be assessed on the basis of facts rather than interpretations unsupported by current data.

The case is also important for Macedonia, as the country uses a BCG vaccine produced by the same Bulgarian company, BB-NCIPD. After receiving information from Croatia, the Immunization Commission contacted the Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices – MALMED, requesting data on the vaccine batches used in the country.

The decision to temporarily postpone immunization was taken pending clarification of all information concerning the batches, their quality and a possible link to the occurrence of adverse reactions. In a reaction published on Facebook, Danillovski described this as a reasonable precautionary measure.

He also referred to data published by the Ministry of Health, according to which, over the past ten years, MALMED has received only one report of a suspected adverse reaction following BCG vaccination. The report, submitted in August 2022, concerned an abscess at the injection site, a known effect described in the vaccine’s instructions.

To date, no safety signal similar to the one currently being investigated in Croatia has been identified in Macedonia. Danillovski considers this important information for assessing the situation and calls on parents to remain calm./Telegrafi/