Presentation by Vi Lam

Peer reviewed by Soumyaa Thakur

Introduction:

The Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine is primarily used against tuberculosis (TB). It is not widely used in the United States but is mandatory at birth in developing countries where TB is still common. It was first introduced in the 1920s and was adopted by several countries. With the ongoing COVID-19, researching are looking into the possibilities of using the BCG vaccine as a potential treatment due to its positive effects on cytokine production and non-specific immune effects. Per several studies, many confounding factors were not taken into consideration but the correlation was found between countries that implemented a BCG vaccination plan in the 20th century and low COVID-19 related mortality rate.

Future Research

• More comprehensive research into the aforementioned correlation where factors such as testing capacity, vaccinations other than BCG that may confer immune advantages, or socioeconomic status should be included to produce statistically significant results.

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