Potential new TB vaccines could save millions of lives — Gavi

Potential new vaccines against tuberculosis (TB) could save millions of lives if they are successfully developed and made widely available, the Gavi vaccine alliance has said.

Gavi said new TB vaccines could significantly reduce deaths from the disease, which remains one of the world’s leading infectious killers.

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Several new TB vaccine candidates are currently being tested, including M72/AS01E and MTBVAC. Some are already in late-stage clinical trials, with results expected in the coming years.

Experts say an effective vaccine for adolescents and adults could prevent tens of millions of TB cases and save millions of lives over the next 25 years.

Current modelling suggests that a vaccine that is 50% effective could prevent between 37 million and 76 million TB cases and save between 4.6 million and 8.5 million lives by 2050.

At present, BCG is the only widely used TB vaccine. It provides protection mainly against severe forms of TB in children but offers limited protection against pulmonary TB in adults.

The development of new vaccines could therefore provide a major boost to global efforts to control and eventually end TB.

However, health experts say developing a vaccine will not be enough. Countries will also need funding, manufacturing capacity and strong health systems to ensure that new vaccines reach the people who need them most.