The Indian Council of Medical Research is conducting clinical trials to check on the efficacy of Tuberculosis vaccines against COVID-19.
Highlights
- The ICMR is to focus on vaccine potential of India in reducing death of COVID-19 infected patients.
- The trials that will find out the efficacy of BCG Vaccine in COVID-19 patients is to be conducted in conjunction with National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis.
BCG Vaccine
- The BCG vaccine is Bacillus Calmette-Guerin.
- It is a vaccine that uses live attenuated stain of Mycobacterium Bovis.
- Meaning, the potency of the pathogen is disabled artificially and the characters are retained.
National BCG Vaccination Policy
- India is currently following National BCG Vaccination Policy.
- According to the National Family Health Survey, around 91.9% of children in the age group of 12 to 23 months are receiving the vaccine.
- The survey also says that India has the capacity of producing 2,800 lakh BCG Vaccine doses in a year.
Background
- The researchers of Biomedical sciences of New York Institute of Technology have reported that the countries administered BCG Vaccine Programme has less incidents of COVID-19 as compared to countries that did not administer the programme.
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