A hundred years or so ago the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine was invented to fight the TB epidemic of those times. It is still being used today, especially in the developing world. And,it is being used to fight more than TB. The vaccine prevents infant deaths from a variety of causes, and reduces the incidence of respiratory infections, viral illnesses and sepsis. Countries that did not implement or had abandoned universal B.C.G. vaccination have had more coronavirus infections per capita and higher death rates. Scientists believe that the vaccine seems to “train” the immune system to recognize and respond to a variety of infections, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. “We have really strong data from clinical trials with humans — not mice — that this vaccine protects you from viral and parasitic infections.”
A major clinical trial is underway in Australia. The trial is being held with health care workers (physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists). The goal - “What we want to do is reduce the time an infected health care worker is unwell, so they recover and can come back to work faster.” The Netherlands is in the midst of a clinical trial of 1,000 health care workers.
A recent review by the World Health Organization concluded that B.C.G. had beneficial “off-target effects.”
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