Researchers are keen to investigate the BCG vaccine against COVID-19 because earlier work has shown that it might reduce the risk of some respiratory infections that are entirely unrelated to TB.
For instance, a study that scientists conducted in Guinea-Bissau concluded that “BCG vaccination may have a nontargeted protective effect against acute lower respiratory tract infection, the effect being most marked in girls.”
In another study, researchers delved into retrospective data from Spanish hospitals. They concluded that “BCG vaccination at birth may decrease hospitalization due to [respiratory infection] and sepsis.” Similarly, a study carried out in Brazil found an association between BCG immunization and a reduced risk of pneumonia mortality in children.
It is still not clear exactly how and why these so-called heterologous effects of the BCG vaccine occur. However, it appears to be due to a nonspecific boosting of the immune response.
Although no studies, to date, have investigated the BCG vaccine’s influence over SARS-CoV-2, the scientists hope that the story might be similar. If the BCG vaccine can bolster the immune system, it might reduce the infection rates of SARS-CoV-2 or lessen the severity of COVID-19.
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