Does BCG Vaccination Protect Against COVID-19?

In a single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial involving Danish healthcare workers, BCG vaccination conferred no benefit.

Although Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) was developed as a vaccine for tuberculosis, data suggest it may nonspecifically protect against other infections by reprogramming the innate immune system to react more efficiently. Accordingly, researchers in Denmark posited that BCG might attenuate susceptibility to and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In a single-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial, they enrolled 1221 healthcare workers (HCWs) from May 2020 to January 2021 without evidence of prior COVID-19. Enrollment was discontinued when COVID-19 vaccines became available. The main hypothesis was that BCG vaccination would reduce unplanned absenteeism in these HCWs by 20% at 6 months postimmunization. In all, 610 participants received …

Reviewing Author

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Neil M. Ampel, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsUpToDate

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesCoccidioidomycosis Study Group (Past President, Secretary, Treasurer)

Does BCG Vaccination Protect Against COVID-19?

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Reviewing Author