More on Covid-19

NEW DELHI: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will start a new trial next week to study the efficacy of BCG vaccine in preventing Covid-19, with the results expected to help the government decide if the vaccine can be recommended to frontline healthcare workers taking care of patients."The ICMR will begin a study next week. Till we have definitive results from this, we won’t recommend it even for health workers," Dr R R Gangakhedkar, head of epidemiology and communicable disease at ICMR, said on Friday. The possible effects of BCG vaccine in boosting anti-viral immunity has been the subject of considerable comment, with some studies pointing to higher fatalities in some European nations that have discontinued vaccination. Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine primarily used against tuberculosis. In countries where TB or leprosy are common, one dose is recommended for healthy babies as close to the time of birth as possible. The trial on BCG vaccine will be one of a few lines of treatment and prevention being pursued around the world, with work continuing on anti-virals like remdesivir, found useful against Ebola, and plasma or immune therapies besides research on an anti-Covid-19 vaccine."We do not have evidence to take an official position on the BCG vaccine in Covid-19. It cannot even stop TB but it can only protect from severity. It probably stops meningitis — so it is partial protection. There are some studies that show that it is an immunomodulator," Dr Gangakhedkar said.Explaining its usage and efficacy, he said the vaccine is given at birth and is effective for 15 years. There are studies about re-vaccination with BCG but even that is till adolescence or 15 years of age. However, there is no evidence or studies about the utility of re-vaccination after 15 years of age.Earlier this week, the World Health Organisation said there was no evidence yet to show that BCG vaccine was effective in preventing Covid-19 infections."Two clinical trials addressing this question are under way, and the WHO will evaluate the evidence when it is available. In the absence of evidence, the WHO does not recommend BCG vaccination for the prevention of Covid-19," the UN agency said.