BCG vaccination strategy implemented to reduce the impact of COVID-19: Hype or Hope?

ABSTRACT: The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine (BCG vaccine) designed to prevent tuberculosis in children has been shown to induce a adaptive immune response in the body to fight against bacteria as well as other parasites and viruses. This knowledge has been reciprocated to generate the idea that this vaccine can also offer protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2). Some recent pre-print articles have highlighted that countries with mass BCG immunizations seems to have a lower incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to those without BCG immunization. There are yet no experimental proof of any such association and the world health organisation (WHO) is currently testing the theory with clinical trials on selected cohorts. Epidemiologists and ot

SUBMITTER: Rajarshi K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7255206 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature