NEW DELHI : Can the BCG vaccine, used against tuberculosis, prevent the occurrence of coronavirus infection and reduce the severity of the disease and mortality?
The India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is all set to conduct a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the BCG vaccination in elderly individuals between 60 to 95 years of age living in COVID-19 hotspots in India.This study will be carried out in six sites in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi in approximately 1,500 healthy volunteers above 60 years of age.The ICMR's National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) in Chennai is heading the study."As a part of this multi-centric study which will be carried out at six sites, elderly.