BCG tuberculosis vaccine may be protective against COVID-19

[rvby]

economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/nations-without-bcg-vaccination-saw-higher-cases/articleshow/74956201.cms?from=mdr

Countries with a broad BCG vaccination program seem to have 1/10 the infection rates and illness rates compared to those without such a program. Sounds like there will be some trials of the vaccine for frontline staff to see if it helps reduce mortality.

I grew up in a developing country and received the BCG. Turns out it protects me from all kinds of bugs! Not just coronaviruses...

*not a medic or scientists. Not a media (type) either!

The 'TB jab' was the subject of extremely grisly tales when I was at school. We were collectively terrified. The site of mine was actually rather horrid for months, IIRC - whether it was infected or just a bad reaction, I don't know. But the vaccination itself was much less spectacular than the myths would have it.

I’m 44, my siblings are 40 and 34 - none of us has the BCG, or the reaction test for it

The Irish Times had a helpful article about this yesterday, it was very mindful that correlation does not = causal relationship but there are some other factors that indicate there might be some merit in this story. I'm sure it said an American University or a lab somewhere has started a study but isn't due to report for a hood 3 - 6 months.

It was also interesting that the Irish press referred to the UK's BCG programme as 'modest', they have been giving the vaccine since 1937 I think it said, whereas we started in the late 50s and stopped in 2005.

*another

According to wiki italy dont vax. Nor do US generally whereas japan and S korea do as do Russia.
However Germany dont anymore.
South america and central do.
So this could explain why there seem to be such huge differences in death rate. However ours is bad for london which is where they still do bcg.
@ShanghaiDiva do they vax for bcg in china?

I agree that it cannot fully protect as we have lost drs and nurses who would presumably have been vax. Although i did notice a couple of the drs had been born abroad.

But also countries worse hit might have more A blood types.
Also with many vax contact with the pathogen boosts them - so could contact with TB in the community be boosting some countries BCG reaction?

Are A types supposed to get it more often then?

keepdistance
Sorry, I don’t know. My dcs grew up in China and Germany and we have followed a German vax schedule with some extras such as rabies, Japanese encephalitis, hepatitis and not the Chinese programme.

UK didn't have a blanket vaccine for BCG in the 1990s, some areas were considered higher risk than others. I'm 40 and I got it (in Cambridgeshire) or rather would have got it at school but had a reaction to the pre-test (tb in ward when I was born meant I had bcg at a few days old). My brother is 38 and didn't get it (in Hampshire). My mum tried to get him vaccinated but nhs wouldn't.
Interesting. I think I've had covid, but pretty mildly.

*Cherilittlebottom
*
have you been tested?

Thanks Shanghai

Hopefully big could help at least a bit as that is already a safe treatment.

I never had one as was off sick from school the day they were done. No catch up programme back in those days!

Me to, so five years ago I requested a BCG from my GP.
Eventually, after much insisting I went to the Tropical School of Medicine and had the jab.
Questioning circled around whether I was gay and was scared of HIV.
There was a resurgence of AB resistant TB at the time.

DH and I had it (40s) and it hasn't bloody helped us!

And I believe I had COVID two weeks ago.
It was very very mild.

But I would say the majority of people in the uk have had the BCG?

Asian babies are still given the bcg
All three of mine have had it.

Most people born after 2005 wont have had it. The benefits may have worn off for many others

I’m 28 (born 1991) and had it. I was in the last school year group to receive it routinely in my area. I grew up in Suffolk. I still have a visible scar, mine turned horrible for ages. Interested to see the results of the American study.

Lots of people in the UK haven't had it because since at least the 1990s its only been given in areas considered to be a tb risk.

I have no idea if I had it, but 2 of my children have as they were born in a London borough with higher than average rates.

I’m 30 and living in London. I had the BCG as a teenager. My 2 children (6&8) also had the jab as babies. We are all White British. I’d imagine most of my borough have had it and we still have lots of rising cases here.

A good few London boroughs have offered it in recent years.

Mid 40s here - everyone at my school had BCG. I would like this to be true but I am sceptical.

I’m sure I had it - my sister definitely did (I remember when she banged her arm just after and the blister was a beauty).

It's bladder cancer treatment to...