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The BCG vaccination administered during childhood does not protect against COVID-19 in adulthood, a new study by researchers at Tel Aviv University, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has concluded, according to The Hindu.
The finding is significant as a previous study, yet to be peer reviewed, found that countries which had universal childhood BCG vaccination programs had fewer coronavirus cases and deaths than countries which did not have a vaccination program, suggesting that the BCG vaccination had conferred protection again COVID-19.
Israel's population served as an excellent natural sample for the study, as a national immunization program which ran from 1955 until 1982 ensured that children born in Israel were routinely given the BCG vaccination. However, since 1982 only immigrants from countries with high prevalence of tuberculosis have been given the vaccination. Researchers were therefore able to compare the rate of coronavirus infection in the two groups.
Original article from JAMA is here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2766182?resultClick=1