THE existing vaccine for tuberculosis is a gamble—sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn’t. But now, in a breakthrough that could save millions of
lives, immunologists have figured out why it is so hit or miss, and how to fix
the problem.
TB is caused by a bacterium that spreads through the air and infects the
lungs. Not everyone who is infected gets sick, but the disease is so prevalent
in regions like Africa that it’s responsible for a quarter of preventable adult
deaths. You can treat the infections, but more and more resist standard drugs,
so a better vaccine…
