Indian scientists have responded cautiously to a suggestion by global researchers that the oral polio vaccine be tested for COVID-19, saying it is a “testable idea" based on a sound scientific concept but may offer only limited protection against the infection.
With a vaccine for COVID-19 at least a year away, scientists say repurposing already safe and effective vaccines is the way to go for immediate relief against COVID-19.
The repurposed vaccines could include the oral polio vaccine (OPV) and the Bacillus Calmette–Guerin (BCG) used against tuberculosis, both part of the immunisation given to Indian children.
It is worth conducting a clinical trial, said Ram Vishwakarma, director of the CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine.