Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination patterns in the province of Québec, Canada, 1956-1974

This is the first comprehensive description of the tuberculosis prevention program in Québec which offered free, non-mandatory BCG vaccination. Our results confirm that the targeted groups, newborns and school-age children, were preferentially reached. Socioeconomic, demographic, and organizational factors may explain regional differences in immunization rates. Beyond presenting a historical context for this vaccination campaign, our findings are relevant to contemporary uses of the Québec BCG Vaccination Registry in epidemiological research.