Does a tuberculosis vaccine help against the crown?

Cape Town / Hannover. Research is ongoing around the world to find an active ingredient against coronavirus. The “vaccination wheel” does not necessarily have to be reinvented; Studies with a tuberculosis vaccine are already underway in several countries. Scientists want to find out if vaccination reduces the chance of developing Covid-19 or weakens the course of the disease.

As the “Ärzteblatt” reports, South African scientists have now started a trial of the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) tuberculosis vaccine with 500 test subjects. 250 people received a BCG injection and another 250 a placebo.

BCG works against respiratory infections

Andreas Diacon leads the study at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town. He told the AFP news agency that some observations would suggest that BCG has an impact on the immune system, including that it strengthens the immune system against respiratory infections. The assumption does not appear to be completely unfounded. “Controlled studies have shown that BCG can really protect against viral respiratory infections,” recently infection biologist Stefan Kaufmann of Deutsche Welle said.

Long-term study: BCG against coronavirus?

Scientists in Cape Town are now trying to find out if BCG is also effective against the new coronavirus. “If we could just reduce COVID-19 symptoms a little, it would increase people’s chances of survival. Or they wouldn’t even have to go to the hospital or get sick,” said AFP’s Diacon. The study will expand to up to 3,000 workers at the health in a period of at least one year.

Studies also in Germany

Similar studies are also underway in the Netherlands, Australia and Germany, although in most countries there is no longer any vaccine against tuberculosis. In Germany, the BCG vaccine has not been recommended by the Standing Committee on Vaccination of the Robert Koch Institute since 1998. However, in current research, a vaccine developed by the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology called “MPV” is being tested 1002 “, which is based solely on the BCG vaccine. According to Deutsche Welle, studies in mice have shown that VPM 1002 activates the immune system and could significantly reduce viral infections like Covid-19.

The new tuberculosis vaccine is being tested to determine its efficacy in the current pandemic situation at the Hannover Medical School (MHH). 1000 subjects from the field of medicine participate in the first study nationwide; Another study will be carried out with 1800 older people. A MHH press release says: “If studies show that vaccinates actually receive Covid-19 less frequently or less severely, risk groups such as clinic staff and particularly vulnerable individuals could be vaccinated with VPM 1002 in about few moths”.

WHO remains covered

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized in April 2020 that there was no evidence that the BCG vaccine protects people from coronavirus infection. The WHO wants to wait for the results of the clinical studies and then evaluate whether a recommendation for a BCG vaccine is given, for the prevention of Covid-19.

In a recent article in the English magazine “The Lancet”, the WHO also notes that BCG vaccination is already quite scarce, so it must be ensured that children at risk in areas at high risk of tuberculosis remain important Vaccination.