The year 2021 began with the hope that the vaccine would arrive. At the end of January, the population of Brazil has already started to be vaccinated with doses of the Coronavac and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, which will be produced by Fiocruz. Despite this great step, the pandemic is far from over and the figures are still high, with high rates in some states, such as Amazonas, Minas Gerais, Roraima, among others, as a result of the inconsequence of many people living as if the pandemic were already finished, gathering on several occasions, such as at the end of the year.

For Margareth Dalcolmo, pulmonologist at Fiocruz and coordinator of the Brace Trial Brasil, a study with the BCG vaccine that aims to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on healthcare workers, we are experiencing a second wave, “materialized by the increase in the number of cases, especially in the state of Amazonas. We do attribute it to year-end celebrations, trips and agglomerations, which were so often warned against. And to the appearance of the new mutated strain, which is now known to be more transmissible”, she explained. For the pulmonologist, one of the critical points in facing the pandemic in the country is precisely that: people’s lack of awareness. “Despite the time, it is still necessary, and it will be so for a long time, to maintain personal and collective care”, she says.

The importance of vaccination

Not only does the collective conscience affect the prevention and the necessary care for this, but it also affects the vaccination stage, since the anti-vaccine movement has been growing in Brazil. Over the past few years, the country has noticed a drop in vaccination coverage in the basic immunization schedule, bringing a significant impact, such as, for example, the return of measles cases.

Even before the vaccination against Covid-19 started, the anti-vaccine movement was already active. With the dissemination of test results and vaccine efficacy, the speech intensified, including the spread of fake news. But the fact is that only mass immunization can contain the coronavirus and its mutations. “Vaccines are the best and only solution for acute viral diseases.  The four regulated vaccines so far are of good quality, safe and effective, and it is necessary for everyone to adhere and to be aware of fighting for them as a right of all”, highlighted Margareth.

The pulmonologist was vaccinated on January 23, at a ceremony held at Fiocruz that marked the arrival of the batch of two million vaccines from Oxford-AstraZeneca, produced by the Serum Institute, in India, imported by Brazil, while the production of vaccines at the Foundation is not yet started.

Brace Trial Brazil

Margareth Dalcolmo is one of the coordinators of the Brace Trial Brasil, a project that is being developed at Fiocruz, with the support of Fiotec. The study focuses on the use of the BCG vaccine to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on health workers. The protocol called Brace is a randomized, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial with two parallel, multicenter groups, involving 10,000 health workers in Australia, Europe and Latin America. Studies show that BCG can have a protective effect against severe forms of Covid-19.

“The BCG vaccine is widely known in Brazil, used in every newborn, since 1976, to prevent severe forms of tuberculosis. The vaccine provokes a very varied immunity, and the hypothesis formulated is that it can protect against Covid-19 and/or mitigate severe forms of the disease”, explained the researcher.

The study is still in the testing phase. We are currently recruiting volunteers for the BCG vaccine trial.