NPR Scientists Experiment With TB Vaccine To See If It Slows Spread of COVID-19 Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 08 October 2020 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles NPR Scientists Experiment With TB Vaccine To See If It Slows Spread of COVID-19 Cedars-Sinai investigators are studying the use of a tuberculosis vaccine as a treatment for COVID-19. The rod-shaped bacteria that cause tuberculosis is pictured here. Image by Getty Images. In a recent interview on NPR's "Morning Edition" program, Moshe Arditi, MD, director of the Pediatric and Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division at Cedars-Sinai, discussed BCG, a tuberculosis (TB) vaccine used in many countries, as a potential tool for fighting COVID-19 infections. Arditi is directing a clinical trial of BCG at Cedars-Sinai, one of a number of institutions in the world pursuing research on the drug to see if it might be effective against COVID-19. Scientists are interested in BCG because research has shown that it not only protects babies against TB but also protects against other childhood infections, While noting that no one believes BCG will be better than a specific vaccine for COVID-19, Arditi, professor of pediatrics and biomedical sciences, said it could be more quickly approved and made available. It also has another advantage, he said. "More than 130 million kids every year – every year – receive the BCG vaccine. So the safety profile has been very strong," he told NPR reporter Michaeleen Doucleff. He added: "This is just to have a bridge until we have the most effective, the most safe vaccine." The NPR interview was aired by dozens of outlets. Earlier this year, Arditi, in an article published in the New York Times, explained that BCG may ramp up the body's initial immune response in ways that reduce the amount of virus in the body, preventing an inflammatory response. It may "lead to less infection to start with," he said. Click here to listen to the complete NPR interview. Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries October 07, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles HealthDay recently interviewed Rebecca J. Schneyer, MD, a resident in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program at Cedars-Sinai, about a study she led that found Black and Hispanic women were less likely than white women to receive minimally … Read more KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot October 06, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles KCRW program Press Play recently featured Rita Shane, PharmD, vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Cedars-Sinai, discussing who qualifies for the updated COVID-19 booster and how long patients must wait before getting the shot.The Centers … Read more ABC 7 Spider-Man Swings by 4-Year-Old Leukemia Patient s Birthday Party at Cedars-Sinai September 30, 2022 09:00 AM America/Los_Angeles ABC 7 recently profiled Cedars-Sinai patient Jabari Henley, who celebrated his fourth birthday with a special superhero at Guerin Children's newly opened inpatient facility.The Lifedriven Foundation helped throw Henley a surprise party in the Guerin … Read more Show previous items Show next items Contact the Media Team Email: [email protected] Contact Share this release NPR Scientists Experiment With TB Vaccine To See If It Slows Spread of COVID-19 Share on: Twitter Share on: Facebook Share on: LinkedIn Search Our Newsroom Social media Visit our Facebook page (opens in new window) Follow us on Twitter (opens in new window) Visit our Youtube profile (opens in new window) (opens in new window) Latest news 07 Oct 2022 - HealthDay Black Women Less Likely to Get Laparoscopic Fibroid Surgeries 07 Oct 2022 - Faculty Publications: Sept. 29-Oct. 6 07 Oct 2022 - Fine-Tuning Organ-Chip Technology 06 Oct 2022 - KCRW Want New Omicron Booster Wait at Least 2 Months After Last Shot 05 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Schedules Free Flu Vaccine Clinics 04 Oct 2022 - Cedars-Sinai Showcases Hispanic and Latinx Art Newsroom Home