[Repeated BCG vaccine stockouts in France: local findings and consequences in a primary health care centre in Seine-Saint-Denis].

France is the European country most severely impacted by BCG vaccine stockouts that started in 2013. After a brief history of French tuberculosis vaccine regulations, this article describes the dysfunctions induced by these shortages in a primary health care centre in Seine-Saint-Denis, the department with the highest incidence of tuberculosis in France.Field observations reveal two types of shortcomings in the institutional communication to healthcare professionals: incomplete communication on projected shortages and their duration; lack of technical information on BCG multidose vials for the Polish market replacing BCG SSI. We then report the consequences of this poor information on the performances of the primary health care centre and its workers.In the light of this situation, we propose ways to improve policy implementation, especially by creating bottom-up communication channels from healthcare professionals towards health agencies.