Role of BCG in Reduction of the Spread and Severity of COVID-19

Ashutosh Kumar Singh ,Amit Sharma ,Mukesh Kumar ,Ankita Semwal ,Manisha Prajapat ,Bikash Medhi ,Rahul Singh ,Gitika Batra

doi:10.33696/immunology.3.071

Abstract

Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine has existence of more than 80 years with its widest use among all currently available vaccines. BCG vaccine developed from a virulent attenuated M. bovis strain against tuberculosis (TB) by deleting more than 14 different regions in the genome of Mycobacterium. Several countries are having high prevalence rate of TB, BCG vaccine is used as preventive measure for tubercle meningitis in children. The countries with low risk usually do not include BCG vaccine in their vaccination schedule. BCG is administered immediately to new-borns within a few hours or days of birth. BCG vaccine has 70% potency against meningitis and miliary tuberculosis, whereas the efficacy against pulmonary TB, 52% was reported

Highlights

Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine has existence of more than 80 years with its widest use among all currently available vaccines [1]
BCG involves in the stimulation of Pathogen Recognition Receptors (PRRs) like Toll-like receptors (TLR) receptors and nucleotide-binding oligomer domain-like receptors (NOD) [8,32] and activates the innate immune system
The BCG vaccine is the oldest vaccine that is being used against TB in all over the world

Summary

Introduction

Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine has existence of more than 80 years with its widest use among all currently available vaccines [1]. BCG may have role in the protection beyond the target pathogens that could elevate through the memory of innate immune response or heterologous lymphocyte activation. BCG vaccine has shown a role in the reduction of acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRI) risk among vaccinated children as compared to the non-vaccinated child population [17,18]. Several studies showed a 40% reduction in mortality by malaria, sepsis, respiratory infections, and leprosy in BCG vaccinated people, conducted in West Africa [22,23,24,25,26]. A study conducted in the South African adolescent population showed that the BCG vaccine reduces upto 70% respiratory tract infections [27]. The versatile existence and diversity at every level of life in evolutionary tree has set up its well-marked role

BCG Induced Immune Response

Findings

Conclusion