LETTER: An old vaccine may be worth a new look
BCG remains a pillar of TB containment worldwide, and Australia is now considering it for Covid-19 medical staff
Something doesn’t add up with SA’s Covid-19 infection and death rates. While our unique brand of social-distancing has flattened the infection curve, we know the coronavirus reached several townships where social-distancing has been sub-optimal. If this had been 1918, some should already be presenting widespread sickness.
Discounting seasonal temperatures and vitamin D differences, could the bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination be playing a hidden role in this unexpected situation? Developed in the 1920s to fight juvenile TB, it can give a broader immunity against respiratory infections. While somewhat controversial in how well it protects and for how long, the BCG remains one of the pillars of TB containment worldwide. ..
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