So there's some great news. At least for a few of us.
Preliminary research has found that a common vaccine for some countries (or if you have traveled) may offer significant protection from Covid-19. The vaccine is called the BCG Vaccine or the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine.
Heres some more information below:
More from Fast Company:
- What’s the vaccine? The Bacillus Calmette–Guérin vaccine, which prevents tuberculosis, has been around for a century. It boosts the body’s immune system, and has been associated with reduced risk of a variety of bacterial, parasitic, and viral infections.
- Why the optimism? A preliminary study shows that countries with universal BCG vaccinations, such as Japan and South Korea, have infection and disease rates of COVID-19 as much as 100-fold lower than countries without universal vaccination policies, such as Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States. The elderly, who were vaccinated decades ago, may particularly benefit.
- What don’t we know? Correlation or causality. We don’t know why the infection rates differ. For example, it is possible that the differing infection rates are because of different mask-wearing and social distancing behaviors. (The term for this is “ecological fallacy.”) There is also no information on developing countries, which were not included due to less reliable COVID-19 counts.
- Have I been vaccinated? If you were born outside of the U.S. or previously traveled to developing countries and received vaccinations beforehand, possibly. This Wiki page has a partial list of country practices under “Usage.” Many countries have altered their policies over time.
- When will we know the answer? It is complicated. Studies just started in a half dozen countries, including the Netherlands, Australia, and the U.S., administering the vaccine to thousands of healthcare workers. Those results will be available in 3-4 months. However, fresh vaccinations may have differing effects than vaccinations administered decades ago.
I've never traveled outside of the country (yet) and most definitely have never heard of this vaccine. However, we do need some light at the end of this tunnel right? It also explains why Japan hasn't been struck so hard by this Covid-19 virus.