A team of researchers in the Netherlands, Australia and Denmark will launch tests this week to test whether the vaccine used for tuberculosis can strengthen people's immune system to fight coronavirus more effectively.
Scientists in 3 countries around the world will soon begin this experiment, which will be tested on individuals most likely to be infected with Covid-19, such as medical staff or the elderly.
Meanwhile, countries like Greece, Germany or the United States are also considering studying the BCG vaccine in the fight against coronavirus.
This study aims to test whether the tuberculosis vaccine called Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has the power to fight the new virus and affect the recovery of affected patients.
Danish researchers have even previously concluded that BCG protects up to 30% of any kind of infection of any kind of pathogen, but the WHO is still a little skeptical about this, saying that belief in a study like this is scarce.
The tuberculosis vaccine is not something unknown to our country, as it has been applied to Albanians since the 1960s. Anabel.al contacted Dr. Shk. Natasha Thanasin (Troy), a renowned pneumologist, to find out more about the impact of this vaccine on the current situation.
"Every child born in the Albanian territory gets the TBC vaccine. This has been a mandatory maternity vaccine for us for years. in Albania. Tuberculosis vaccine was compulsory even before the 90s and the vaccination is done in different periods. "- said Thanasi.
So, does this fact affect our country if recent studies prove that this vaccine can help fight coronavirus?
"If this experiment is scientifically validated, then in a way we are more protected. Anyway people need to know that the immunity created by the TBC vaccine is temporary, in other words, the protection is not permanent. a great achievement. "- continues the lecture for Anabel.al.
This vaccine has been mandatory in countries where the rates of tuberculosis patients have been higher.
"In the clinic where I work there are often children of foreign-born immigrants who decide to return to Albania from Germany, Greece or Italy to receive this vaccine after it has not been applied to them. These children are not accepted in our kindergartens unless they are vaccinated against TBC. "
