TB vaccines could save 7.3 million lives, Gavi says

New tuberculosis vaccines expected to become available from 2029 could avert up to 7.3 million deaths from 2030 through 2050, Gavi said Monday, if enough affordable supply reaches countries with the highest disease burden.

The global vaccine alliance said new TB vaccines in development could become the “next blockbuster immunisation tool”, but warned that their effect would depend on sufficient, predictable and affordable supplies.

Tuberculosis remains the world's leading infectious killer, claiming an estimated 1.23 million lives in 2024, according to the latest World Health Organization statistics cited by Gavi.

The only currently licensed vaccine against TB is the Bacille Calmette-Guerin vaccine, known as BCG, which is more than 100 years old. Gavi said BCG protects infants and young children against severe forms of the disease, but that its protection wanes.

Gavi said candidate vaccines designed to prevent TB among adolescents and adults could fill that gap. Its analysis found they could also unlock up to $135 billion in economic benefits across low- and middle-income countries by mid-century.

The organisation warned that inadequate global and domestic financing could limit uptake after licences are secured. It said uncertainty over demand could also affect manufacturers' investment in production capacity for late-stage vaccine candidates.

Gavi said it was working with partners to prepare for timely access once the vaccines are licensed and to support a competitive and geographically diverse pipeline of new TB vaccine candidates.