BCG vaccine is being seen as a new hope for COVID-19 patients. It can make our immune system to recognize and respond to a variety of infections, including viruses, bacteria and parasites etc (non-specific immune response).
There is only experimental evidence from both animal and human studies that the BCG vaccine has non-specific effects on the immune system. These effects have not been well characterized and their clinical relevance is unknown.
Also there is complete lack of evidence that the it will protect people against infection with COVID-19 . Two clinical trials addressing this question are underway, and WHO will evaluate the evidence when it is available.
In the absence of evidence, WHO does not recommend BCG vaccination for the prevention of COVID-19. WHO continues to recommend neonatal BCG vaccination in countries or settings with a high incidence of tuberculosis.
BCG also cannot be administered to anyone who has a compromised immune system, because it is a live-attenuated vaccine
The vaccine prevents infant deaths from a variety of causes, and sharply reduces the incidence of respiratory infections (not in COVID but in general). However, COVID-19 has not shown any major impact in pediatric age group in terms of morbidity and mortality , hence it might not be a useful tool, since the morbidity and mortality is higher in older age groups. At present I could not see any comprehensive data to support use of BCG vaccine for COVID-19 patients. What are your views on this?
Also, see the RG links below.
Article COVID-19 death and BCG vaccination programs worldwide
Article BCG vaccine: a hope to control COVID-19 pandemic amid crisis
one of the possible mechanisms for BCG vaccination induced effects is proposed here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340737975_Can_inhalation_of_aerosolized_urea-containing_microdroplets_be_an_effective_method_for_the_prevention_and_treatment_of_SARS-CoV-2_induced_pneumonia
In my country Iraq Vaccinations: Percentage of children 12-23 months who have received specific vaccines by the time of the survey (according to the vaccination card or the mother's report). Children with all vaccinations refer children who have received BCG, measles, and three doses each of DPT and polio vaccine (excluding polio 0). Some MICS surveys refer children in different age groups (e.g. 18-29 months, or 15-26 months).
I hope the vaccine will be effective against covid 19
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340737975_Can_inhalation_of_aerosolized_urea-containing_microdroplets_be_an_effective_method_for_the_prevention_and_treatment_of_SARS-CoV-2_induced_pneumonia
Covid-19
Has non specific effect on pediatric population Regarding mortality and morbidity.
The use of BCG vacvine may produce nonspecifice immunity against Covid-19. And it is efficacy still quasitionable
Article On Facing the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) with Combination of Nano...
Is it possible to get the BCG immunization history of Covid patients? It might be possible to correlate the BCG vaccination with disease prevalence or disease severity
BCG vaccination strategy for prevention against COVID-19: Hype or Hope?
https://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fdx.doi.org%2F10.20944%2Fpreprints202004.0351.v1?_sg%5B0%5D=rkd-z2XzdnIPzjlsy_tZHvg4AqLWi2BVTB1uim0KTB7-f6a2Z2v2dAWJgXAyLJbm63M9Sb38w_q9ovaZKuLZCMegEg.MH6zQ6br9Kn0RKl6vTmhzGrcNe0KkPWiGkKp03joAja7FfjrTgyeax8ZS6WrjYSTPP4x9g51Ddnf_kMxHkF7MA
Without direct evidence it is difficult to comment on it.
I doubt it would produce any specific immunity and would just be raising false hopes , need a controlled trial before any recomendation .
There is no concrete evidence for the use of BCG. Hence, until further evidence, please use BCG only as per national policies. In my country, It is routinely administered at birth
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.30.20048165v3
https://www.news-medical.net/amp/news/20200426/Is-the-BCG-vaccine-really-protective-against-COVID-19.aspx
The article might be interesting..
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31025-4/fulltext
BCG vaccines are supposed to induce metabolic and epigenetic changes that enhance the innate immune response to subsequent infections, a process termed trained immunity which might therefore reduce viraemia after SARS-COV-2 exposure. Interestingly, countries with national programme of whole population BCG vaccination appear to show lower incidence and death rate from COVID-19 as compared to those where BCG vaccination is not mandatory [79].The findings from the study suggesting less COVID-19 in countries with routine BCG immunisation is weak evidence because it is based on population rather than individual data and is prone to confounding. Moreover a large population-based cohort from Israel does not support the idea that BCG vaccination in childhood has a protective effect against COVID-19 in adulthood [80]. But more clinical trials of this vaccine are going on to know the protective efficacy against the disease.
As far as there is no harm taking the vaccine to COVID-19 patients, it is supported to continue the trial.
The figure deserves further study but the pathogenetic assumptions should be better evaluated. Best regards.
Almost 80 to 90% population had been BCG vaccinated in India. The way covid cases are rising in India, indicates BCG not atall protective against covid 19.
Nothing significant yet and WHO also shares nothing about it.
Mandated BCG vaccination can be effective in the fight against COVID-19.
There are many different opinions on this question.
But I have somehow collected most of these comments in my article
You can read
Article Exploring the causes of mild COVID-19 involvement in pediatr...
"Another causal element of milder symptoms in pediatric COVID-19 can be trained immunity, a new model in immunology that emphasizes the shaping of memory in innate immune cells after antigen challenges. Based on this theory, the use of obligatory vaccines in children could induce particular cellular epigenetic and metabolic modifications that result in more efficient immune responses of innate immune cells when challenged with other pathogens [31,33]. On the other hand, it has been reported that individuals with COVID-19 show lymphopenia and a decrease in cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell counts [34]. In addition to cytotoxic T cells, the expression of exhaustion markers is raised on the surface of natural killer cells [35]. Vaccination can modify this induced lymphopenia through stimulation of CD4+ T helper type 1 cells to secrete various cytokines, encouraging the maturation of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells [36]. Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine (BCG); Measles, mumps and rubella vaccine; Purified protein derivative-
tuberculin and Candida vaccines are used to improve the capacity of the immune system to detect specific viral antigens; most vaccines act in this way. Although these vaccines are used to prevent and control their own specific diseases, they also provide non-specific immunity to other diseases; one common example is the use of these vaccines in dermatology, they are applied intralesionally to amend verruca warts caused by human papillomavirus [36]. The BCG vaccine has been used for many years against tuberculosis, especially in most Asian countries where children are routinely vaccinated with BCG [37]. It also trains innate immunity to generate immune memory and fortifies the human ‘frontline’ innate immunity in the long-term vaccination [36]. Research has shown that the BCG vaccine provides non-specific protection against influenza virus infection in mice, most likely through the induction of trained immunity. Similar to COVID-19, influenza has been shown to increase ARDS much more in adults than in children [38]. Hence, researchers hope that the BCG vaccine, which could be responsible for milder COVID-19 in children, will also be effective in preventing COVID-19. Pursuant to a study by Miller et al., which looked at the correlation between global vaccination policy and mortality and morbidity reduction for COVID-19, countries with long-standing global vaccination policies, such as South Korea and Japan, showed lower mortality rates than countries without a policy of universal BCG
vaccination, such as Italy and USA ..."
Dear researchers I searching for data, support, and explanations for the dramatic worst mortality data of Lombardia (N. Italy) in the first pandemic phase. Thanks for possible aid.
https://www.researchgate.net/post/The_novel_Coronavirus_in_N_Italy_Lombardia_COVID19_2019nCoV_SARSCoV2_shows_a_fatality_rate_compatible_with_SARS-MERS_Why
Linked pre-print papers: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341325862
Stay safe --sv--
Please see the link below.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7413058/
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