Coronavirus: 2000 WA healthcare workers to test BCG tuberculosis vaccine

WA healthcare workers will test whether an existing tuberculosis vaccine will reduce their chances of contracting COVID-19.

Frontline staff in three of the WA’s biggest hospitals will receive BCG vaccinations at the same time as getting their annual influenza shot. Picture: istock

At least 2000 healthcare workers in Western Australia will help test whether existing BCG vaccines against tuberculosis can reduce their chance of COVID-19 infection or lessen the severity of symptoms.

Frontline staff in three of the state’s biggest hospitals will receive BCG vaccinations at the same time as getting their annual influenza shot, with around 500 staff at Perth Children’s Hospital lining up for inoculations this week.

Around 750 staff each from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospitals will also participate in the randomised clinical trial, which is being led nationally by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Victoria. It will recruit another 2000 participants at sites in Melbourne.

Health Minister Roger Cook said the trial will test if BCG vaccine, which is known to boost immunity against a range of infections, has a similar effect on COVID-19.

The Telethon Kids Institute has been provided $1.5 million by the Minderoo Foundation to conduct the trial. Institute director Professor Jonathan Carapetis says BCG can reduce deaths and rates of respiratory disease in children.

“The vaccine has been around for the best part of a century … It’s been shown to reduce even deaths from respiratory infections in young children.”

He said the vaccine could boost immunity among the most vulnerable in society and healthcare workers, and become part of any future preparation for the next pandemic to occur.

As part of broader safeguards against the impact of COVID-19 on children, Mr Cook announced that WA would become the first state to begin offering free influenza vaccines to all primary school-aged children.

“This is particularly important right now as seasonal influenza may overlap with COVID-19, and we know primary school-aged children had a very high rate of the influenza infection last year.

“It’s incredibly important that you get your flu vaccination this year, more than any other year, because if we get the double whammy of the influenza season and COVID-19 that will have a devastating impact on our community,” he said.