Rethinking TB vaccines

Monday, April 1, 2013

As researchers consider who might benefit most from the next wave of tuberculosis (TB) vaccines, some argue that we’re not doing enough with the vaccine we already have.

The disappointing results of the first infant TB vaccine tested for efficacy in 40 years were published in February 2013, but new research suggests that while babies might be easier to reach, given existing childhood vaccination programmes, new vaccines will be more cost-effective if geared towards teens and adults.

The findings by the London School of Tropical Medicine are based on mathematical modelling that compared the cost-effectiveness of potential TB vaccines in the top 22 countries with the highest burden of TB, as listed by the World Health Organization (WHO), including South Africa, India and China, which account for 82 percent of all TB cases globally.

Source: IRIN (link opens in a new window)

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Health Care
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public health