More than 80 volunteers had been vaccinated as part of a trial under way at JSS Hospital in Mysuru to give a booster dose of BCG to the elderly to prevent COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality.
As part of the trial initiated at the behest of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in view of the ongoing pandemic, a total of 150 participants had already been screened at the hospital since September 23. More than 80 had been vaccinated so far to study if the booster dose would provide immunity against not only COVID-19, but also other respiratory infections.
The rationale
“BCG has been part of our infant immunisation schedule with a proven safety profile over many decades. Apart from preventing tuberculosis in the young, this vaccine’s off-target effect in preventing many respiratory complications in children is the idea behind ICMR giving a booster dose of the same vaccine to the elderly since they are more susceptible to the COVID-19 infection, complications and mortality,” said B. Suresh, Pro Chancellor, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER), Mysuru.
Healthy people in the age group of 60 to 80, who are regularly treating their diabetes, blood pressure and cardiac ailments, if any, are eligible for the booster of the anti-tuberculosis vaccine BCG. However, those who cannot be part of the trial include COVID-19 patients or those who have recovered from it, tuberculosis patients or those who have recovered from it, and people suffering from HIV, cancer or kidney-related ailments.
Immunogenicity study
Though the trial programme has been going in different parts of India for the last six months, Dr. Suresh said JSS Hospital, which is a unit of JSSAHER, is the only institution in the second phase chose for the immunogenicity study too.
The volunteers chosen for the immunogenicity test will be monitored for the presence of antibodies in their blood and how they will cope in the context of COVID-19.
Though BCG vaccine is given to infants mandatorily in India, the immunity is believed to reduce with time, particularly after 60 years, according to experts. Thus, the vaccine administered as part of the trial will be a ‘booster dose’ to ensure additional cover not only for tuberculosis, but also for COVID-19.
The Principal Investigator of the trial is Prathiba Periera, Professor and Head of the Department of Medicine, JSS Hospital, Mysuru. Dr .Suresh said the BCG booster dose trial is the fourth vaccine trial being carried out by JSS Hospital, which is a WHO-approved vaccine trial centre.