Method of preparation of BCG vaccine: It is freeze‐ dried preparation containing live culture of the bacillus Calmette and Guerin strain of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Preparation: The bacilli are grown on a suitable culture media until 1 mg when plated out on a suitable solid culture media shows not less than 20 million colonies. The growth period should not be more than 14 days in any case. After a suitable growth, they are separated by filtration in the form of a cake. The cake is homogenized in a grinding flask and suspended in a suitable sterile liquid medium designed to preserve the antigenicity and viability of the vaccine. The suspension is transferred into the final sterile containers and freeze‐dried. Then containers are sealed so as to prevent contamination or deterioration of the vaccine. The vaccine contains no antimicrobial agent.
Dose: Prophylactic, 0.1 ml as a single dose by intra-cutaneous injection.
Storage: Store in hermetically sealed light resistant glass containers at a temperature between 20 C and 80 C. The reconstituted vaccine should be used immediately after its preparation.
Uses: Immunising agent which provides protection against tuberculosis.