BCG vaccine's Effectiveness for COVID-19 not proven: WHO

WhatsApp messages claiming the BCG vaccine prevents coronavirus infection are inaccurate as the World Health Organization says no such evidence exists yet.

The Bacille Calmette-Guérin jab has been given to children around the world, including Bangladesh, to fight off tuberculosis.

It is still given to children or adults when they might be at risk of coming into contact with tuberculosis.

In many countries, where this vaccine is still common, rumours are spreading recently that people should not worry about coronavirus if they have had the BCG jab because it gives them immunity against the novel pathogen.

A WhatsApp message in Arabic says that if you have the circular scar from the jab on your arm, you could be "75% protected" against Covid-19.

However, the WHO says there is no evidence that the BCG protects people from Covid-19 infection. The health body says two clinical trials are under way involving BCG, and when completed, their findings will be evaluated by the WHO.

Despite the lack of medical evidence, global search for the term "BCG" has spiked, according to the tech giant, Google.

The WHO is concerned that increased demand for the vaccine means there'll be less of it available to inoculate children against tuberculosis.

Similar fears have also been voiced by suppliers in Japan, reporting a surge in demand for the BCG vaccine.

(Source: BBC)

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