The Department of Health says progress is being made towards the development of a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, while preparatory work is underway to ensure timely access for South Africans if the vaccine is approved, reports Bloemfontein Courant.

The M72/AS01E vaccine has shown promising results during Phase 1 and Phase 2 trials and is now being evaluated in Phase 3 clinical trials in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Indonesia.

The department said the vaccine, which aims to prevent TB disease among adolescents and adults, could be a game-changer in efforts to control and ultimately eliminate TB globally and in South Africa.

“Once approved, it will be the first TB vaccine introduced in over a century, because currently we have only the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which is given to newborn infants and children under five years old and offers limited protection later in life,” the department said.

The department said it had also been informed by officials from the Gates Medical Research Institute and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that an agreement had been reached with the Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, regarding the number of doses of the TB vaccine to be produced and made available globally.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.

Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal.