The need for fast-track, high-quality and low-cost studies about the role of the BCG vaccine in the fight against COVID-19 | Respiratory Research | Full Text

The need for fast-track, high-quality and low-cost studies about the role of the BCG vaccine in the fight against COVID-19 | Respiratory Research | Full Text

The need for fast-track, high-quality and low-cost studies about the role of the BCG vaccine in the fight against COVID-19

• Marcos Pereira, 
• Enny Paixão, 
• Anete Trajman, 
• Ramon Andrade de Souza, 
• Marcio Santos da Natividade, 
• Julia M. Pescarini, 
• Susan Martins Pereira, 
• Florisneide Rodrigues Barreto, 
• Ricardo Ximenes, 
• Margareth Dalcomo, 
• Maria Yury Ichihara, 
• Ceuci Nunes, 
• Manoel Barral-Netto & 
• Maurício L. Barreto 

Respiratory Research volume 21, Article number: 178 (2020) Cite this article

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Abstract

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination is routine and near-universal in many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). It has been suggested that BCG can have a protective effect on COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. This commentary discusses the limitations of the evidence around BCG and COVID-19. We argue that higher-quality evidence is necessary to understand the protective effect of the BCG vaccine from existing, secondary data, while we await results from clinical trials currently conducted in different settings.