BCG-Russia + oral polio vaccine

BCG-Russia + oral polio vaccine is a combination vaccine intervention consisting of the Russian strain of the live attenuated Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine and the live attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV). This combination was primarily investigated in randomized controlled trials in India to determine if its administration at birth could reduce neonatal mortality in low birth weight infants (weighing <2000 g) through non-specific immune-modulating effects, often referred to as trained immunity. While BCG and OPV are standard vaccines for tuberculosis and poliomyelitis respectively, this specific research focused on their potential to reduce deaths from unrelated infections such as pneumonia and sepsis. Clinical trial results demonstrated that the combination did not significantly impact neonatal mortality rates in the studied population compared to control groups.