TB vaccine workshop report published in Frontiers in Tuberculosis

In October 2023, the Stop TB Partnership Working Group on New Vaccines (WGNV), IAVI, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine co-hosted a workshop with tuberculosis (TB) high-burden country experts to build understanding of what epidemiological, impact, feasibility, and acceptability data would be needed to plan for TB vaccine introduction at the national level. With several TB vaccine candidates already in late-stage development, critical work is underway to understand what is needed for successful introduction of a new vaccine, especially within high-burden countries.

In this workshop, country and global perspectives were discussed, focusing on the key epidemiological, impact, feasibility, and acceptability data needs for the introduction of new TB vaccines. The collective expertise provided valuable insights, including the need for further discussion on applicability for different settings and countries. On a global scale, post-COVID-19 issues were highlighted, emphasizing differences in priorities and data availability among countries. Participants deliberated on target populations and equity considerations, recognized substantial variations among countries, and considered potential challenges in obtaining country-specific information. Gaps in integrating TB vaccine support into national strategic plans, including funding, were also identified.  

The workshop was led by IAVI’s Puck Pelzer, associate director, epidemiology, and Richard White, professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Please read the full workshop report to learn more about what evidence would be needed to successfully introduce a TB vaccine to high-burden countries.