South Africa BCG booster trials seek low-cost weapon against COVID-19

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South African biotech group TASK has started testing the century-old BCG vaccine, widely used against tuberculosis, to protect against COVID-19. More here:

South African biotech group TASK this month started the continent’s first trial to see whether 250 high-risk workers given a booster dose of BCG vaccine show better protection against COVID-19 than the same number given a placebo.

But unlike those countries, where BCG vaccinations at birth aren’t the norm, South Africa’s trial involves injecting people for a second time. BCG injections are mandatory at birth in South Africa, where TB is a leading killer. Trying out a new medical intervention in Africa always rings alarm bells because of an unfortunate history of big pharmaceutical companies using Africans as guinea pigs.

 

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Maybe it will lead SA to landing on the right responsiveness to Covid-19. Let's pray!

More a case of hit and hope, rather than done with any scientific evidence.

BCG is mandatory in India and we all had when we were infants. That's one of the reason mortality rate is relatively low from COVID-19 in India and in countries where BCG vaccination is mandatory. Good luck South Africa!

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