TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Countries where vaccinations with the century-old Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) are common, including Taiwan, have been better able to resist the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), according to some experts.

Researchers in the United States and Japan conducted separate analyses of the anti-tuberculosis vaccine and reached similar conclusions, explaining why Taiwan and some Eastern European countries were performing better in their fight against the coronavirus, the Liberty Times reported.

The Japanese study concluded that the 68 countries where the BCG vaccinations had continued to be general policy showed the lowest increases in the number of coronavirus cases.

A separate study by the University of Michigan found that the increase in virus cases slowed down the most within 30 days in countries where BCG vaccinations had remained compulsory practice, according to the Liberty Times.

However, skeptics pointed out that the research might have been influenced by the fact that some countries did not apply widespread testing for the coronavirus and that it was already old, bypassed by rapid developments in recent weeks.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reportedly issued an advisory about the usefulness of BCG, with some experts dismissing reports about its efficiency as “hype.” A sudden run on the vaccine in the hope of countering the coronavirus might lead to a shortage for children who really need BCG against tuberculosis, critics warned.

On Tuesday, Taiwan reported no new cases of the coronavirus, the first such day since March 9. The country has counted 393 cases, including six deaths and 124 patients who have left the hospital.