New Tuberculosis Vaccines are Coming Precision Vaccinations … – Precision Vaccinations

(Precision Vaccinations News)

Tuberculosis (TB) is not only the world's biggest infectious killer, but it also destroys families and livelihoods. Besides the fear of dying from the disease, in many communities, a diagnosis can sentence someone to social isolation, wroteLinda Geddes in an article published by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, on October 24, 2023.

While the Bacillus CalmetteGurin (BCG) vaccine provides significant protection against TB disease in infants and young children, new vaccines that block infection and prevent TB disease are urgently needed.

More than 100 years have passed since the first administration of the BCG vaccine; hopes are building that a vaccine that could protect all age groups against all types of TB may finally be in reach.

Fortunately, several TB vaccine candidates are now in late-stage clinical trials, raising hopes that an affordable and effective vaccine may soon be within reach.

Today's BCG vaccines are based on different attenuated strains ofM. bovis.

These BCG vaccines are recommended for newborns in countries with a high burden of TB.

TB vaccines are among the most widely used, reaching more than 80% of infantsin countries where the BCG vaccine is included in routine childhood immunisation programs.

In the United States, vaccinations with the TICE BCG version are limited and generally offered to children in areas experiencing community spreading of TB.

The U.S. CDCreported inMarch 2023 that TBcases increasedby 5% in 2022, with8,300 confirmedcases. In addition, about13 million people live withlatent TB infection in the U.S.

Recent data indicates TB rates are accelerating by double digits in certain Texasareas (Dallas,Hidalgo County,Houston,San Antonio)in 2023.

Gedde's full, unedited article is posted at this link.

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New Tuberculosis Vaccines are Coming Precision Vaccinations ... - Precision Vaccinations