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Over 13% of the population in Tirana has passed Covid! Immunologist Sulçebe discovers another vaccine that has an effect against the virus

Over 13% of the population in Tirana has passed Covid! Immunologist

A few weeks ago scientists came to the conclusion that the tuberculosis vaccine, or BCG, has evidence that it can also protect against other infections. Most Albanians have been vaccinated. Now the professor of Immunology, Genc Sulçebe, shows that the same effect is being proven to have another vaccine, to which most Albanians have also undergone and is: the pneumococcal vaccine.

"The pneumococcal vaccine also refers to having a protective effect on COVID-19. "Like the flu vaccine, these vaccines are mainly recommended for older individuals, mainly those over 65, who are also at higher risk for COVID-19," the doctor told the Panorama newspaper.

This vaccine was included in the vaccination program in our country in 2011, which means that those born after this date are vaccinated. According to the IPH calendar, the vaccine that prevents diseases such as meningitis and blood infections is applied to infants in three doses, respectively in the 2nd, 4th and 10th month.

Question: Recently, the media in Italy have written that another dose of tuberculosis vaccine for those who got this vaccine 10 years ago protects against COVID-19. Is there any truth here?

Sulchebe: It is true that the tuberculosis vaccine may have a non-specific protective effect for COVID-19 with a mechanism called "trained immunity". There are studies that are ongoing in this regard, but we still do not have their results. The pneumococcal vaccine is also reported to have a protective effect on COVID-19. Like the flu vaccine, these vaccines are mainly recommended for older individuals, especially those over 65 who are at higher risk for COVID-19.

He also made public the data of a study conducted three months ago on the positivity of antibodies, which showed that 6 to 7% of the population, or about 12 thousand, people in Tirana had passed the disease, currently according to Professor Sulçebe, this figure may have doubled, so 13% of the population in Tirana may have passed the disease.

The data show that only 5% of those infected with COVID-19 need hospital treatment , as most are either symptomatic or are followed up at home by family doctors.