The BRACE Trial

BCG vaccination to Reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Australian healthcare workers following Coronavirus Exposure (BRACE)
The BRACE Trial
Project Status: In progress
Project administered by: Murdoch Children's Research Institute

SAHMRI is proud to be partnering with SA Health and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) in a clinical trial of a vaccine that could provide an immune system boost to protect against the worst of COVID-19’s symptoms.

The BCG vaccination to Reduce the impact of COVID-19 in Australian healthcare workers following Coronavirus Exposure (BRACE) Trial is a multi-centre randomised controlled clinical trial of the BCG vaccine against COVID-19.

The trial aims to enrol 10,000 healthcare workers from across Australia and Europe to investigate whether an existing, commonly-used vaccine can reduce the effects of COVID-19 infection.

What is BCG?

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a vaccine that was developed against tuberculosis and is still given to more than 100 million babies annually for that purpose. It’s also commonly used as a treatment for people with bladder cancer.

There is epidemiological evidence that BCG vaccination could reduce susceptibility to respiratory infections such as COVID-19.

Previous studies have shown BCG reduces the level of virus when people are infected with other viruses. The vaccine also boosts people’s ‘frontline’ immunity, training it to respond to other subsequent infections with greater intensity. Researchers hope this improved ‘innate’ immunity will provide crucial time to develop and importantly, validate, a specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.

SAHMRI is well placed to lead this trial in South Australia as, under the direction of Professor David Lynn, the institute has been researching the non-specific effects of vaccines including BCG.

More information

The BRACE trial has finished recruitment in South Australia at this time. We thank all of the SA Healthcare workers who have participated – we will be in touch shortly to arrange your 3-month study visit (which will involve a short visit to collect a blood sample).

Visits will be held at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Women's and Children's Hospital (depending on where your first study visit was). You will receive a link to arrange a booking in the coming weeks.

Find out more about the BRACE Trial

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