Learned lesson from COVID-19: can routine immunizations be the first line of defense against the next pandemic?

• Published in: The Gazette of the Egyptian Paediatric Association 2022-04, Vol.70 (1), p.1-9, Article 14
• Main Authors: AbdelMassih, Antoine, Gaber, Hanya, El Shershaby, Meryam, Hanafy, Maram, Omar, Yasmin, Husseiny, Reem, AlShehry, Nada, Ismail, Habiba-Allah, Kamel, Aya, Hozaien, Rafeef, Khaled, Ghadeer, Amer, Mohamed, Turki, Aya, Fawzy, Heba, Puligheddu, Stefano, Khaled, Dalia, Thabet, Nardine Nasry, Abdelaziz, Mariam Sherif, Barakat, Mustafa, Sharaf, Sara, Mohamed, Ahmed, Mohsen, Dina, El Feky, Amr, Adly, Hadil, Ibrahim, Eman, Mahmoud, Rana, Reda, Mirna, Riad, Felopateer, Vasile, Carmen, Shohdi, Mahitab Adel, Hesham, Nadine, El-Husseiny, Nadine, Ragy, Rana, Fouda, Raghda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: B cells; BCG; BCG vaccines; COVID-19; Egypt; Epidemics; Immune response; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurophysiology; Next pandemic; Pediatrics; Review; Skewed immune response; Trained immunity; Vaccination; Vaccines
• ISSN: 2090-9942; 1110-6638; 2090-9942
• DOI: 10.1186/s43054-022-00105-2

Background Single-cell sequencing studies on the lung microenvironment have revealed that the outcome of COVID-19 depends largely on the immune system response rather than the viral load. A robust innate immune response and a regulated adaptive immunity can prevent the worst outcomes such as hospitalization and the need for mechanical ventilation. Main body Intriguingly, several vaccines pertaining to the routine vaccination schedule, not only BCG, can skew the immune response towards the aforementioned beneficial effects. Short conclusion This means that routine immunization not only can help in the current pandemic but can also offer a rapid rescue in the subsequent epidemics or pandemics until a vaccine is developed.