HEALTH | JULY 19, 2020:
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will conduct a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the BCG vaccine in preventing morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 in elderly individuals.
The study will be carried out in six states – Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi. The target group aged between 60 to 95 years of age living in COVID-19 hotspots in the country.
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The ICMR's National Institute for Research in Tuberculosis (NIRT) in Chennai is heading the study.
The study uses the same BCG vaccine that is administered to newborn babies as a part of the National Immunization programme in the country. This will determine whether the BCG vaccine can prevent the occurrence of the Coronavirus infection and its progression among elderly individuals.
