A Multi-Centre, Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Phase III Clinical Trial Evaluating the Impact of BCG Re-Vaccination on the Incidence and Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Infections among Symptomatic Healthcare Professionals during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Poland—Evaluation of Antibody Concentrations
Paweł Zapolnik,
Wojciech Kmiecik,
Anna Nowakowska,
Łukasz Jerzy Krzych,
Henryk Szymański,
Lidia Stopyra,
Teresa Jackowska,
Dorota Darmochwał-Kolarz,
Artur Mazur,
Hanna Czajka
Affiliations
Paweł Zapolnik
College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-315 Rzeszów, Poland
Wojciech Kmiecik
St. Louis Provincial Specialist Children’s Hospital, 31-503 Kraków, Poland
Anna Nowakowska
Medical Diagnostics Laboratory, Regional Sanitary-Epidemiological Station, College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-315 Rzeszów, Poland
Łukasz Jerzy Krzych
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Therapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 40-055 Katowice, Poland
Henryk Szymański
Saint Hedwig of Silesia Hospital, 55-100 Trzebnica, Poland
Lidia Stopyra
Department of Infectious Diseases and Paediatrics, Stefan Żeromski Specialist Hospital, 31-913 Kraków, Poland
Teresa Jackowska
Department of Paediatrics, Medical Centre of Postgraduate Education, 01-813 Warsaw, Poland
Dorota Darmochwał-Kolarz
College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-315 Rzeszów, Poland
Artur Mazur
College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-315 Rzeszów, Poland
Hanna Czajka
College of Medical Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-315 Rzeszów, Poland
Tuberculosis (TB) was the predominant cause of death from a single infectious agent worldwide before the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. Although TB vaccines have been successfully used for about 100 years, their full effect is still unknown. In previous studies, a reduced incidence and mortality from a coronavirus disease in TB-vaccinated populations were reported. In this article, we present the secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial, reporting the results of a serological assessment evaluating the effect of the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine on SARS-CoV-2. Participants—healthcare workers—were assessed 1–2 and 8 months after the second dose of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. We found no associations between antibody concentration, BCG revaccination, and additional characteristics, such as age, gender, or Body Mass Index. The effect of BCG vaccination on the immunological response against SARS-CoV-2 requires further research.
