Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) Study to Help Prevent COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) is a contagious virus affecting everyone at this time. There is no current vaccination or treatment against this virus. Researchers at Texas A&M University, in collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College Medicine and Cedars Sinai Medical Center, are looking for health care worker and first responder volunteers to participate in a study evaluating Bacillus Calmette Guérin (BCG) vaccine as a booster of the immune response and to study if this vaccine reduces illness severity from coronavirus.
The goal of this trial is to learn if a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination, a nearly 100-year-old commonly used tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, can help prevent COVID -19 infection and/or mitigate the severity of the illness compared to a placebo.
Vaccine Trial Eligibility and Consent
To participate, volunteers must be:
- Between the ages of 18 and 75
- Personnel working at a hospital, medical center or clinic, including medical, veterinary, dental and ophthalmology; first responders such as law enforcement, firefighters or paramedics; front line workers such as a teachers, wait staff, grocery store workers; or high risk individuals such as the elderly and those with preexisting health conditions
- Able to use their own device to provide data electronically (e.g. via smartphone or tablet)
- Able to participate for six months
If you would like to participate, consent will be collected electronically and by phone in adherence with current physical distancing practices. Volunteers receive a one-time vaccination and will submit daily diary entries on an electronic device (e.g. smart phone or tablet) through a secure research "app" or web portal. Optionally, blood samples and stool samples will be collected at designated timepoints.
