Coronavirus UK: Are people who got the BCG less susceptible to Covid-19?

New research has raised questions regarding the BCG jab and Covid-19.

The Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination has been propelled from our obscure school memories into the headlines this week after it was suggested that having the vaccine may make people less susceptible to contracting coronavirus. 

In the UK, the BCG vaccine, which primarily gives immunity to tuberculosis, was once administered to all children in schools. However, this policy was dropped in 2005 when rates of TB dropped.

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Since then, the BCG vaccination has only been administered to children and those under the age of 35 who are deemed at specific risk of contracting TB.

But what evidence is there that the BCG jab makes people less susceptible to coronavirus and what do the experts say?

Are people who got the BCG less susceptible to Covid-19?

A number of ecological studies have suggested there is a correlation between the countries who have a widespread BCG vaccination policy in place and those same nations that have seen a less severe outbreak of Covid-19, although no final conclusions have been drawn.

The link between the BCG vaccination and those who contract a mild case of coronavirus – or have not caught the virus at all – has been raised by new research from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The new study, which has not been peer-reviewed, suggests that the coronavirus death rate in countries with a widespread BCG vaccination programme is nearly six times lower than in nations without. 

Researchers wrote: ‘The intriguing observation of a significant association between BCG use and lower Covid-19-attributable mortality remained discernable.

‘While mortality attributable to Covid-19 has devastated global health systems and economies, striking regional differences have been observed.

‘Covid-19-attributable mortality among BCG-using countries was 5.8 times lower than in non BCG-using countries.’

However, despite the smattering of professionals and experts who have been drawing links between the BCG vaccination and milder cases of coronavirus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is still not recommending the BCG jab for the prevention of Covid-19. 

In a statement on their website WHO says: ‘There is no evidence that the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG) protects people against infection with COVID-19 virus.’

‘In the absence of evidence, WHO does not recommend BCG vaccination for the prevention of COVID-19.’

The organisation also details their fears that should misinformation about the BCG vaccine and coronavirus cause a rise in demand for the vaccination, it may results in vulnerable children around the world not being able to access the jab when they most need it: ‘resulting in an increase of disease and deaths from tuberculosis.’

Although WHO’s stance on the BCG vaccination and Covid-19 is currently clear, the organisation has said that they are conducting clinical trials into the BCG claims and will review their stance and advice if and when necessary: ‘Two clinical trials addressing this question are underway, and WHO will evaluate the evidence when it is available.’

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