Peer-reviewed article
Knowledge of maternity caregivers on vaccination BCG recommendations and circuits.
Adrien Lequenne, Géraldine Gascoin, Camille Brehin, Claire Jouanolou, Marie Mittaine ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how well maternity care workers in Toulouse, France understood recommendations for BCG vaccination to protect newborns against tuberculosis. The researchers found that caregivers' knowledge was initially poor, correctly identifying only 2.2 out of 6 vaccination indications. After providing training and practical tools, knowledge improved to 2.6 correct indications, with larger improvements in staff ability to identify and prevent tuberculosis in eligible newborns. The findings suggest that maternity staff need better training to implement targeted vaccination programs effectively.
Key points
- Caregivers initially demonstrated insufficient knowledge of BCG vaccination indications, averaging 2.2 correct answers out of 6 possible
- After training and distribution of practical tools, knowledge improved to 2.6 correct indications
- Identification of eligible newborns improved from 22.6% to 45% after intervention
- Prevention-related understanding improved from 17.7% to 30% following training
- Targeted vaccination programs require greater caregiver training than generalized vaccination programs
Limitations
The study was conducted in only two maternity wards in one city, so results may not generalize to other settings or countries. The document does not report follow-up data on actual vaccination coverage or sustainability of knowledge improvements over time.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: In France, 4866 cases of tuberculosis were reported in 2023, of which 5.3% involved children. The pediatric population is at higher risk of developing severe forms (miliary or meningeal tuberculosis). The BCG vaccine is effective in protecting young children against these severe forms. It is recommended for a targeted pediatric population, but vaccine coverage remains insufficient. Early prevention through identifying eligible newborns in maternity care could help improve vaccination coverage among high-risk populations. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed caregivers' knowledge of BCG vaccination indications and circuits in two maternity wards in the city of Toulouse (France), using a questionnaire. A second evaluation was conducted after a training session and the distribution of practical tools, to measure their impact on caregivers' knowledge and involvement. RESULTS: Caregivers' knowledge of BCG vaccination indications was insufficient (2.2 ± 0.33 correct indications out of 6). The development and implementation of training and prevention tools for caregivers helped improve their understanding of vaccination indications (2.6 ± 0.14 correct indications), identification (22.6 vs 45%), and prevention (17.7 vs 30%) CONCLUSION: Targeted vaccination requires greater caregiver training efforts than generalized and/or mandatory vaccination to improve implementation. For BCG vaccination, such training should ideally be provided to maternity staff.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Training session and distribution of practical tools to maternity care staff on BCG vaccination indications and circuits
- Population
- Maternity care workers in two maternity wards in Toulouse, France
Key finding
Knowledge of BCG indications increased from 2.2 ± 0.33 to 2.6 ± 0.14 correct answers out of 6
Lequenne et al. · PubMed (US National Library of Medicine) · 26 Jun 2026