Scientists have found that Bacille Calmetter-Guerin or BCG vaccine, originally made against tuberculosis, is safe and effective against coronavirus. The researcher compared volunteers who had received the BCG vaccine with those who did not and reached to the conclusion that the immunised individuals “did not get sick more often, or become more seriously ill” during the ongoing pandemic.
The study, which has been published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, said that there was an effect of the BCG vaccine on the symptoms attributable to infection with the novel coronavirus.
According to the scientists, including those from Radboud University in the Netherlands, the vaccine was originally intended to treat tuberculosis, but was later proven to provide a long-lasting, general boost to the immune system.
“What the comparison between the groups shows is that at least those who received the vaccine did not get sick more often or become more seriously ill. It therefore does not hurt to vaccinate people with BCG,” the scientists noted in a statement.
However, the researchers also cautioned that the study had limitations which prevent conclusions from being drawn regarding the benefit of the BCG vaccine against Covid-19.
“It is very important to confirm that someone who has been vaccinated with BCG does not experience any increased symptoms during the Covid-19 pandemic. Although we see less sickness in the people who have had the BCG vaccination, only the ongoing prospective BCG vaccination studies can determine whether this vaccination can help against Covid-19”, said study co-author Mihai Netea from Radbound University.
The scientists believe clinical randomised trials evaluating the BCG vaccine’s effects against Covid-19 — currently underway in several parts of the world — can answer this question.
