A recently conducted study by researchers at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) College of Osteopathic Medicine reveals that countries that have mandatory vaccination programs involving a common vaccine, called BCG, have a coronavirus death rate that’s 6 times lower than the countries that do not use it.
Invented over a century ago, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), helps prevent tuberculosis – a bacterial infection- by boosting the human body’s immune system. It also enables the immune system to fight many other parasitic and viral infections.
According to the research, countries with mandatory BCG vaccination programs such as South Korea and Japan have managed to keep the number of infections and deaths due to Coronavirus in check.
Whereas, countries like Italy, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, had abandoned the BCG vaccination policy decades ago. These countries are struggling to contain the rate of COVID-19 infections and deaths.
South Korea and Japan have Coronavirus infection rate 100-fold and a death rate 6 times lower than some of the countries most affected by the COVID-19, states the research.
The research concludes by stating that any vaccine for COVID-19 will take more or less a year before it becomes widely available for use. The effectiveness of any drug under the trial will remain uncertain for a few months at least.
Therefore, the only viable option at the moment is to start administering the BCG vaccine as it has been proven over the years to improve the immune system’s innate ability to fight against viral infections.
This boost in the immune system can buy enough time for the COVID-19 vaccines and treatments to be developed, states the research.
Via: Fast Company
