the Original version that the TB vaccine BCG protects against coronavirus infection was not confirmed.
When spreading COVID-19, Russia was a relatively low rate, and the mortality rate was significantly lower than in other countries, scientists have studied the phenomenon. And put forward the version that this total vaccination of the population from tuberculosis played a role, because many other countries have long abandoned the prevention.
Israeli researchers undertook to test this hypothesis on the basis of scientific data comparing the incidence of coronavirus infection in BCG-vaccinated and unvaccinated young people, according to the Journal of American Medical Association. In Israel, the national immunization programme consisted of a mandatory BCG vaccination for all newborns in the period from 1955 to 1982. Since 1982, a vaccine was administered only to immigrants from countries with high prevalence of tuberculosis. This change allowed us to compare the frequency and proportion of infection COVID-19 in two similar populations – persons born within three years before the termination of the program of BCG vaccination, and persons born within three years after.
Results differentiated by year of birth of patients, 1979 – 1981 (at the age of 39-41 years), and 1983 – 1985 (at the age of 35-37 years). There were tested more than 72,000 people. 3064 of them were vaccinated, 2869 – unvaccinated.
In each group there was one case of severe disease, leading to artificial ventilation or resuscitation, there were no lethal outcomes. Due to the small number of severe cases it is impossible to draw a conclusion about the relationship between BCG status and disease severity. As for the average number of infected in both groups they were roughly equal.
Thus, the study did not confirm the hypothesis that BCG vaccination in childhood has a protective effect against COVID-19 in adulthood. However, the study is only concerned with the ability of BCG to protect against infection COVID-19. It does not assess the impact of this vaccination on the severity of the disease.
