BCG vaccine can slow Covid spread, prevent deaths: Study

The study maintained that the United States, which is the worst hit by Covid-19, could have averted the high fatality rate had the government in that country instituted mandatory BCG vaccine decades ago.

The BCG vaccine is given at the time of birth of a child to prevent tuberculosis, but researchers have found that it provides immunity to several other infectious diseases including Covid-19.

The scientists analysed an increase in the rate of Covid-19 infection in 135 countries and death rates in 134 countries in the first 30 days of the outbreak in each country and found that “mandatory BCG vaccination correlated with a flattening of the curve in the spread of Covid-19”.

However, the experts did not declare the BCG vaccine as a “magic bullet” and said more analysis is needed.

There are at least 100 vaccine candidates for Covid-19 which are at different stages of trial.

In India, there are 16 vaccine candidates  in different stages of development, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Saturday.

The BCG vaccine is one of them and is currently in the phase 3 of the trial while Zydus Cadila DNA vaccine is in phase I/II trial, he said, adding that four other vaccines are in the advanced stages of preclinical study.