TB Elimination: The Slow-Moving Pandemic

Tuberculosis remains a "slow-moving pandemic" that lacks the immediate policy urgency of COVID-19 despite its higher mortality. Findings from the PreVenTB trials involving VPM1002 and Immuvac offer a breakthrough, particularly with a 50.4% efficacy rate against extrapulmonary TB (EPTB). However, the study reveals that vaccine efficacy is critically dependent on nutrition; low BMI significantly diminishes protection. This underscores that medical intervention must be paired with aggressive nutritional support to achieve the goal of elimination.