WHO does not recommend BCG vaccine to prevent COVID-19



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WHO does not recommend BCG vaccine to prevent COVID-19
The WHO does not recommend the BCG vaccine to prevent COVID-19. Photo: © Rosa Pinto

Two clinical trials are underway to verify the effectiveness of BCG vaccine in prevention COVID-19. Until now, the World Health Organization (WHO) There is no evidence that the BCG vaccine prevents COVID-19, so the WHO “does not recommend the BCG vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19.”

The WHO recalls that “it continues to recommend neonatal BCG vaccination in countries or places with a high incidence of tuberculosis.” But he also recalls that “there is experimental evidence from animal and human studies that the BCG vaccine has nonspecific effects on the immune system, and that these effects have not been well characterized and that their clinical relevance is unknown.”

On April 11, 2020, the WHO updated its ongoing evidence review of major scientific databases and clinical trial repositories, using English, French and Chinese search terms for COVID-19, coronavirus, SARS-CoV -2 and BCG.

There have been reports that studies comparing the incidence of COVID-19 cases in countries where the BCG vaccine is used with countries where it is not used and found that countries that routinely used the vaccine in newborns had fewer reported cases of COVID. -19 at the end of the year. moment

Regarding these studies, the WHO says, “Such ecological studies are prone to significant biases from many confounding factors, including differences in national demographics and burden of disease, test rates for COVID virus infections. -19 and the stage of the pandemic. ” in each country “.

The WHO indicates that “the BCG vaccine prevents severe forms of tuberculosis in children and the diversion of local vaccines can lead to non-vaccination of newborns, resulting in an increase in tuberculosis disease and death” .

“In the absence of evidence, the WHO does not recommend the BCG vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19. The WHO continues to recommend neonatal BCG vaccination in countries or places with a high incidence of tuberculosis ”, concludes the WHO.

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