Role of BCG in Reduction of the Spread and Severity of COVID-19

Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) vaccine has existence of more than 80 years with its widest use among all currently available vaccines. BCG vaccine developed from a virulent attenuated M. bovis strain against tuberculosis (TB) by deleting more than 14 different regions in the genome of Mycobacterium. Several countries are having high prevalence rate of TB, BCG vaccine is used as preventive measure for tubercle meningitis in children. The countries with low risk usually do not include BCG vaccine in their vaccination schedule. BCG is administered immediately to new-borns within a few hours or days of birth. BCG vaccine has 70% potency against meningitis and miliary tuberculosis, whereas the efficacy against pulmonary TB, 52% was reported