‘Old vaccines can fight new pandemics like COVID-19’

ABSTRACT

Speed read Vaccines against polio and measles can protect against COVID-19 These vaccines use live but attenuated, or weakened, viruses or germs Live attenuated vaccines can boost immunity against other viruses [NEW YORK] Inoculation with live attenuated vaccines (LAV) such as those used against TB, polio or measles can stimulate the immune system to provide protection against other infectious diseases, including COVID-19, says a new study. According to the authors of the study published in PNAS, older live attenuated vaccines could also afford protection from other emerging viruses. Plotkin, who developed the rubella vaccine and has worked on vaccines for anthrax, polio, rabies, and rotavirus, says because COVID-19 vaccines will not be widely available for populations in developing countries for many months, “a degree of resistance to the coronavirus could be induced in a significant part of the population by giving vaccines against other diseases like BCG and the vaccine against TB, which will stimulate the immune system and give partial protection.