Currently, there are no drugs that can prevent COVID-19, and there is no vaccine. As the virus traverses the globe, scientists are working at breakneck speed to identify ways to slow or stop the disease. Share on Pinterest A new trial plans to use a TB vaccine to reduce COVID-19 infection rates in medical staff. All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date. Visit our coronavirus hub and follow our live updates page for the most recent information on the COVID-19 outbreak. Taking a new drug from initial trials through to the clinic stage is an incredibly long process. Therefore, researchers are keen to identify vaccines that are already in use that might help tackle SARS-CoV-2. If scientists have already demonstrated that a vaccine is safe in humans, the journey from clinical trial to widespread use is comparatively short. Recently, researchers from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia (MCRI) began organizing a trial to investigate whether the tuberculosis (TB) vaccine known as the bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) might offer some protection against COVID-19. The researchers plan to trial the vaccine on around 4,000 frontline medical staff at hospitals across Australia. Project lead Nigel Curtis from the MCRI explains that they hope to “see a reduction in the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 symptoms in healthcare workers receiving the BCG vaccination.” Stay informed with live updates on the current COVID-19 outbreak and visit our coronavirus hub for more advice on prevention and treatment.

What is the BCG vaccination? The BCG vaccine protects against TB, an infectious disease that most commonly affects the lungs. A bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis is what causes TB. The BCGvaccine reduces the chances of the bacterium infecting someone. It also reduces the severity of the disease in those who do contract it. The BCG vaccine first became available in 1921, and it appears on the World Health Organization (WHO) List of Essential Medicines. In excess of 100 million babies receive the BCG vaccination each year. Aside from TB, the BCG vaccine also protects against other conditions that involve mycobacterium, including leprosy. Scientists produce the vaccine using live Mycobacterium bovis taken from bovines, which they have attenuated to reduce their virility.