BRACE trial extends to more than 6800 participants worldwide

BCG vaccine trial led by Professor Nigel Curtis from the Department of Paediatrics reaches more than 6800 global participants.

Since the BRACE trial launched in Melbourne one year ago, more than 6800 healthcare workers have enrolled in 34 sites across Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The Australian-led study is the largest of its kind worldwide, working to determine if the ‘off-target’ effects of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine reduce the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in healthcare workers.

With COVID-19 vaccines now available, Nigel Curtis, Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases in the Department of Paediatrics and Chief Principal Investigator of the BRACE trial, has introduced a sub-study to determine whether BCG improves the immune response to Pfizer, AstraZeneca and CoronaVac vaccines. The sub-study will also explore whether it’s possible to predict who remains susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 variants after already having COVID-19 or receiving a COVID-19-specific vaccine.

Find out more: mcri.edu.au/BRACE