AFP reports that hundreds of SA health workers were given a century-old tuberculosis vaccine on Monday in a trial to see whether the venerable formula could protect against coronavirus.  

The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine is one of the world's oldest and most trusted immunisations.  Trials started in Cape Town, where BCG booster shots were administered to 250 healthcare workers, while another 250 received a dummy formula, or placebo.  “There are observations that this BCG vaccine does something to the immune system that we don't really understand,” Prof Andreas Diacon, founder of clinical research organisation Task, said.   He added:  “It makes the immune system cope better with respiratory tract infections.  No-one actually really understands why it works”.  Diacon and his team want to determine whether BCG could have an effect on coronavirus by reducing the risk of infection or easing symptoms.  The plan is to ramp up the trials to up to 3,000 healthcare workers in Cape Town.  Participants will be observed for at least a year.  Similar BCG clinical trials are being conducted in the Netherlands, Australia and France.

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