A new breakthrough vaccine for TB – the first to be introduced in more than a century – is likely to be rolled out in South Africa soon and is expected to eliminate the disease as a public threat by 2030 as phase three trials in five countries show high promise, writes MedicalBrief.
The Department of Health says preparations are already under way for an expedited roll out once approval has been granted for the jab. The Citizen reports that the department is already “proactively preparing for registration and introduction of the M72/ASOIE vaccine”, with spokesperson Foster Mohale saying plans and preparations are being put in place for a speedy roll-out.
“A vaccine that prevents TB disease in adolescents and adults will be a game-changer for TB control and elimination, both globally and here in South Africa,” he said.
The vaccine has showed promise in phase 1 and phase 2 trials and is now in phase 3 trials in South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Indonesia.
Once approved, it will be the first TB vaccine introduced in more than a century: currently there is only the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, given to newborns and children under five, and which offers limited protection later in life.
Gates Foundation
Mohale said the department had been told by the Gates Medical Research Institute and the Gates Foundation that an agreement has been reached with the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer – the Serum Institute of India – about the number of doses to be produced and sold globally of the new vaccine.
“This agreement also provides for progressive production by pharmaceutical partners in South Africa and Indonesia over time,” he said.
Mohale added that the department is ready to support the production and introduction of the shot once the trial results are known and the jab has been registered by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA).
The department has confirmed that TB continues to be one of the most significant public health challenges in South Africa, reports BusinessTech.
The country ranks among the three lists of 30 high-burden nations for TB, HIV-associated TB (TB/HIV), and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), representing a substantial portion of the global TB epidemic.
In 2023, it was estimated that 270 000 people developed TB, including 13 000 cases (5%) of drug-resistant TB.
More than half (54%) of the notified TB patients were co-infected with HIV, underscoring the urgent need for an integrated approach to tackle both epidemics.
Although South Africa’s extensive antiretroviral therapy (ART) programme has contributed to reducing TB incidence and mortality, there were still 56 000 deaths reported due to TB in 2023.
“More targeted interventions are required to close remaining gaps in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment,” said the department.
South Africa has made significant strides in controlling TB. Since 2015, the incidence rate has decreased by 57%, and treatment coverage has risen to 79%.
However, the number of deaths related to the disease has only fallen by 16%, and more than half (56%) of households affected by TB continue to experience high costs in accessing treatment.
To accelerate progress, the department has launched the End TB Campaign, a nationwide initiative to intensify case-finding and treatment enrolment.
The campaign seeks to test 5m people for TB by 2025/26, expanding active case detection through community and facility-based screening.
This effort includes TB testing conducted in collaboration with the HIV Cluster, which is leading the national Close the Gap Campaign rollout.
The Citizen article – Good news in SA’s fight against TB (Open access)
BusinessTech – New vaccine on the cards for South Africa (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Landmark TB vaccine trial kicks off in SA
SA in multi-million dollar trial for new TB vaccine
Century-old BCG vaccine prevents TB in children, not adults – Boston meta-analysis
Surge in TB research heralds hope for centuries-old epidemic