Scientists from around the world are still looking for the COVID-19 vaccine that can hopefully prevent coronavirus from infecting people and stopping the pandemic once and for all--and among the best candidates scientists have is the tuberculosis Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BGC) vaccine.
TB Vaccine Against COVID-19?
In a report by CNN, several research studies have recently emerged backing up the claims that the TB BCG vaccine could help fight coronavirus infection.
Researchers claimed that countries where the BCG vaccine is given had low COVID-19 mortality rates, and while it doesn't necessarily mean that the vaccine could prevent severe coronavirus cases, it does help boost the immune system in general, which helps fight coronavirus.
Luis Escobar of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and his colleagues also checked whether countries that do not offer BCG vaccines have a higher COVID-19 mortality rate.
To ensure that they will be making a fair comparison, they have taken into account the country's population density, their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and their access to health care.
The team found out that in socially similar European countries, every 10% increase in the BGC vaccine index that indicates the degree of universal BGC vaccination, there is a 10.4% reduction in the COVID-19 mortality.
Their research results are now published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
"What distinguishes our work is that we were very careful in removing variables," said Carolina Barillas-Mury to CNN, a well-known investigator from the National Institutes of Health who helped on the study. "When we removed them, if this was not true, the association should have disappeared. Instead of disappearing, it became stronger and stronger -- more straightforward."
More Studies are Required
Scientists worldwide have seen the possibility of using this TB vaccine against COVID-19, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has cautioned against the use of this vaccine for coronavirus, at least until there are further studies that can tell how it works against the new disease.
Although the team's work showed promise, it does not mean that the BGC vaccine offers some sort of immunity against COVID-19, but as it makes the immune system more robust, the body can fight infections faster.
Moreover, experts believe there is nonspecific immunity offered by the vaccine, which goes beyond helping infants and children prevent and survive tuberculosis.
Nevertheless, the effect on adults has been inconsistent.
"It's certainly a novel and provocative approach to trying to prevent this illness. We need all the help we can get," said Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, who agrees that clinical trials should be done to truly assess the BGC vaccine's impact on coronavirus.
The Search is Still On
For now, scientists are still looking at other possible COVID-19 vaccines and are re-using existing vaccines for polio, rubella, and mumps, which they believe could offer protection against severe infections like coronavirus.
Still, researchers reminded the public that further studies are needed to prove these vaccines' impact on SARS-CoV-2 or the COVID-19 virus.
