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| - Fact Check: Can this anti-tuberculosis vaccine prevent coronavirus?
Recently, multiple news reports have cited a study to claim that the anti-tuberculosis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may be effective against Covid-19. This claim is viral on Facebook and WhatsApp.
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India Today Fact Check
According to the World Health Organization, there is no evidence to suggest that BCG vaccine can protect people against Covid-19.
Scientists across the globe have been racing against time to develop a treatment for the deadly Covid-19. The Oxford University is even awaiting positive results from its human trials of the coronavirus vaccine. In such a situation, social media is full of remedies to cure or prevent a coronavirus infection.
Recently, multiple news reports have cited a study to claim that the anti-tuberculosis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine may be effective against Covid-19. This claim is viral on Facebook and WhatsApp.
The archived version of the post can be seen here.
India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found the claim to be misleading. BCG vaccines may prevent tuberculosis, but not Covid-19. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is no evidence to prove that BCG can protect people against Covid-19.
Many Facebook users have cited studies that examine links between national vaccination policies and Covid-19 cases. Studies by different groups of researchers have observed that countries having universal and long-standing BCG policies were less affected by Covid-19.
These pre-print studies were published by researchers from different institutions, including the New York Institute of Technology and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Recognising the dangers of misinformation at this sensitive time, WHO addressed the issue on April 12. In its "scientific brief", the WHO categorically stated, "There is no evidence that the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG) protects people against infection with COVID-19 virus."
It also mentioned that "two clinical trials addressing this question are underway, and WHO will evaluate the evidence when it is available. In the absence of evidence, WHO does not recommend BCG vaccination for the prevention of COVID-19".
Medical practitioners in different countries typically use the BCG vaccine to protect children against severe forms of the life-threatening tuberculosis. But there is no evidence that it protects people from Covid-19, as the viral claim suggests.
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