A tuberculosis vaccine that's 100 years old and costs less than a dollar per dose could have a shot at preventing COVID-19 infections, according to researchers from Boston's Massachusetts General Hospital.
In a 15-monthslong trial conducted before COVID-19 vaccines were available, the researchers administered three jabs of the Bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine, which was first introduced in 1921, to 144 patients with Type 1 diabetes. The vaccine garnered 92 percent efficacy, according to an Aug. 16 press release.
The results, which are published in the Cell Reports Medicine journal, also showed high efficacy in combating other infectious diseases. The researchers hope to start a larger trial to further test the tuberculosis vaccine's efficacy among patients with Type 1 diabetes, a group that has a high risk for severe illness from COVID-19.