A group of researchers of the National Institute of Research of the CMR Tuberculosis and the National Institute of ICMR Epidemiology in India found evidence that the vaccine used to reduce the risk of tuberculosis (BCG) can give elderly to some protection from COVID-19. The article is published in the journal Science Advances.
In the course of the study, experts conducted a vaccination of 82 volunteers aged from 60 to 80 years of BCG vaccine and studied samples taken after a month of blood. When analyzing samples, the researchers revealed a decrease in a series of cytokines, which were associated with inflammation: IL-6, type 1 interferons, interleukin-2 (IL-2) and TNF-Alpha GM-CSF. Also, lower levels of some chemokines were also observed, such as matrix metalloproteinases and acute phase proteins, both of which were also associated with the development of inflammation.
Scientists note that many of the cytokines, whose level decreased in vaccinated, contribute to the heavily COVID-19, which indicates the possible efficiency of BCG, as the means of preventing complications at coronavirus. Vaccine against tuberculosis may be useful as a temporary measure for older people waiting for vaccinations against SARS-COV-2.