Two new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines have been found to be safe for use in adults and children but provide only partial protection against the disease, according to results from a large clinical trial published in The BMJ. The study, conducted in India, evaluated the vaccines VPM1002 and MIP in over 12,000 participants, including household contacts of people with pulmonary TB.
The trial, which concluded in 2025, showed that while the vaccines were well-tolerated, their efficacy in preventing all forms of TB was limited. The findings, reported by researchers from the Indian Council of Medical Research and other institutions, indicate the vaccines did not meet the high bar for protection set by global health goals. The only currently licensed TB vaccine, BCG, is given primarily to infants and offers variable protection against severe forms of the disease in children but is less effective in adults.
TB remains a leading infectious disease killer worldwide, with an estimated 10.6 million people falling ill and 1.3 million dying from it in 2023, according to the World Health Organization. The need for a more effective vaccine is a critical component of the WHO's strategy to end the TB epidemic by 2030. These trial results underscore the ongoing scientific challenge in developing a vaccine that can prevent infection or disease progression across diverse populations.
