New Delhi: As scientists the world over are looking to find a vaccine for novel coronavirus the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said it will study if the BCG vaccine can prevent COVID-19.
“The ICMR will begin a study next week. Till we have definitive results from this, we won’t recommend it for anyone,” head of epidemiology and communicable disease, Dr RR Gangakhedkar, was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
If the results are favourable, the Union Health Ministry can recommended it to frontline healthcare workers who are working day and night to help cure infected patients.
Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a vaccine primarily used for tuberculosis.
“We do not have evidence to take an official position on the BCG vaccine in COVID-19. It cannot even stop TB, but can only protect from severity. It probably stops meningitis — so it is partial protection. There are some studies that show that it is an immunomodulator,” Dr Gangakhedkar explained.
The vaccine is administered at birth and is generally effective for 15 years.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said recently that there was no evidence yet to show that BCG vaccine would be effective in preventing COVID-19 infections.
New Delhi: In India, people love to domesticate pigeons and feed them grains. But not…
Mumbai: The makers of ‘Fauji 2’ gave a special gift to Shah Rukh Khan on…
Jajpur: The Odisha government has suspended headmaster of a high school for irregularities in mid-day…
Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who celebrated his 59th birthday on Saturday, is one…
New York: Three days ahead of US Presidential election, Donald Trump vowed to launch a…
Mumbai: Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Singham Again’ emerged a winner in the box-office clash with Kartik Aaryan’s…
New Delhi: Swati Maliwal on Saturday carried out a symbolic protest in a novel way to…
Koraput: Police have arrested two persons for alleged murder of a man over suspicion of…