Evidence emerges that TB vaccine could work against Covid-19

Exciting new findings suggest that the cure for the coronavirus may have been under our noses all this time.

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin, or BCG vaccine, is commonly used to inoculate against tuberculosis (TB). It works by delivering a boost to the immune system cells in the bone marrow, which are then released and respond to all sorts of pathogens. That helps to protect against TB, but also a host of other diseases. It is used to treat measles, malaria, bladder cancer, and it also decreases respiratory infections in older people.

countries with BCG vaccination programmes are having fewer cases than those without

Interestingly, the USA and Italy are among the rich, developed countries to have never had a universal BCG programme.

From data gathered over 15 days of the current pandemic, incidence of Covid-19 was 38.4/million in countries with BCG vaccination compared to 358.4/million in countries without. The mortality rate was 4.28/million in countries with BCG programs compared to 40/million in countries without such a program.

Therefore, there are roughly 10 times fewer cases and deaths in countries with BCG vaccination.

Source

Here's a surprising and very hopeful development in the fight against Covid-19. Scientists decided to look at the potential for a certain tuberculosis vaccine to perhaps be useful against Covid-19 and found some very interesting data. Countries that use this vaccine have a rate of coronavirus cases and deaths 10 times lower than countries without the TB vaccination program. The USA and Italy are two of the countries that don't use it for widespread vaccinations.
This data, however, is purely statistical; further research needs to be done to confirm the efficacy of this virus at protecting against Covid-19, but the data does look promisingly coincidental.

The UK has had a compulsory TB vaccination program since the 1950's but I'm not seeing (as yet) that our death rate per capita is any better than many other countries.
I honestly think people are grasping at straws here which may work or may just give false hope

a reply to: trollz

a reply to: trollz

Kool I was vaccinated twice. Once when I was a baby and again when I traveled to europe in the sixties.

Do they still vaccinate for intl travel? Havent been. I renewed my passport a few years ago but had to cancel that trip due to volcanic activity lol no really.

I will tell you that the BCG wears off over time based on my experience. I received the vaccine in the 70's. When I became a nurse circa 1996 I started getting the yearly skin tests at first as part of the yearly screening to see if I had been exposed and now its a blood titter. I never reacted nor have I had a positive titter. So depending on how recent the vaccination program is that could also explain why the UK is having issues

a reply to: trollz

Interesting - in regards to the vaccine being used for TB itself:

Side Effects: 3 of every 10,000 people may develop a painful swelling in the arm (it didn't say, but I'm assuming injection site?)

Its actually not all that great at preventing TB, but it works "some" - from the sound of it, based just on the anecdotal numbers, its much better at preventing the 'Rone than it is TB


TB vaccine info (scroll to it)

Do the benefits of the tuberculosis vaccine outweigh its risks?

The tuberculosis vaccine is not highly effective at preventing lung infections caused by the tuberculosis bacteria. For this reason, the vaccine is only recommended for a fairly uncommon subset of those in contact with someone infected with tuberculosis ─ specifically someone in constant contact with a person infected with TB who either refuses to take antibiotics or is infected with a strain that is resistant to all antibiotics. On the other hand, the tuberculosis vaccine has no serious side effects. Therefore, in the uncommon subset of people who should use the vaccine, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks.

a reply to: trollz


It would seem that they should be able to go beyond the macro statistical model and zero in on individual persons who had the vaccine and see if they are free of the virus or unaffected measurably by the coronavirus.


That would seem logical to pursue.