Table 1 Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion Criteria | Exclusion Criteria |
|---|---|
Publication Timeframe and Language | |
 • Studies published after 1988  • Studies published in English or French | • Studies published before 1988 • Studies in languages other than English or French |
Study Population | |
 • Taking place among a high-risk group in a low TB-burden country   o Low-burden countries are defined as those with less than 100 TB cases per million population [21]. | • Not taking place among a high-risk group in a low TB-burden country (or, if including both low and high-burden countries, not stratifying results by burden level).  o Countries excluded in the initial search were those on the current list of high-TB-burden countries provided by the WHO [22] (see Additional file 1).  o Further countries were excluded during abstract screening if they did not meet the WHO’s low incidence cut-off of less than 100 TB cases per million population after consultation of the WHO TB database [23]. • Studies taking place in other contexts considered not relevant to BCG vaccination considerations in the Canadian Indigenous setting, (e.g. studies taking place only among immune-compromised subjects) |
Study Design | |
 • Epidemiological studies  • Case studies  • Public health policy reviews or reports | • Animal, ex-vivo, molecular biology or non-clinical studies • Editorials, commentaries, conference abstracts, or outdated policy reports for countries for which newer versions were already included in the review |
Reported Outcomes | |
 • Studies providing information on BCG vaccination policies, and specifically, information regarding:   o Effectiveness of BCG in the target population   o Possible harms of vaccination   o Possible harms / implications of discontinuation of vaccination | • Studies not relating to BCG vaccination for TB (e.g. studies on TB screening or diagnosis) • Studies on novel vaccine development • Studies not providing information on BCG vaccination policies, and specifically, information regarding:  o Effectiveness of BCG in the target population  o Possible harms of vaccination  o Possible harms / implications of discontinuation of vaccination • Studies on vaccination policy of healthcare personnel |