TB vaccine BCG risk for children born with HIV/AIDS

Submitted by Violet about 1 year ago

By Violet Nakamba Mengo, KC Zambia

THE vaccine against Tuberculosis that is routinely given to 90 per cent of Zambian children is risky to give to those born with AIDS, according to a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO). It recommends that vaccination be delayed until babies are tested.

Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation managing director Jerald Sadoff revealed this at the sidelines of the Journalist-to-Journalist International HIV and AIDS Fellowship programme that ended on the 18th July in Cape Town.

Sadoff said the vaccine, Bacille Calmette-Gurin (BCG), is not recommended for infants known to be infected with HIV, due to increased risk of serious BCG-related complications. He said as a result of the development, there was need for the development of a new TB drug that will eliminate TB as a public health threat, in line with global targets of one case per million populations.

Sadoff whose foundation is working to come up with a new TB drug that will be used by all including those living with HIV and AIDS said BCG was discovered in 1921 and over 90 years had passed without a new drug for TB.

“There is need to focus on the development of rapid accurate and affordable diagnostic tests to improve the detection of tuberculosis,” Sadoff said.

He added that they are working to develop new faster-acting and affordable TB medicines and seeking ways to prevent TB in people living with HIV and AIDS was his foundation’s main objective.

“The new TB drug is expected to be safe and effective in preventing TB in children, adolescents and adults, including people with HIV, protect against all forms of TB – including MDR (multi drug-resistant TB) and XDR (extremely drug-resistant TB) and reduce the cost and burden of TB on patients, health care systems and national economies,” he said.

Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation’s mission is to develop new, more effective TB vaccines and ensure their availability to all who need them. The organization’s goals hope for a more effective, safe and affordable TB vaccine by 2016, identify correlates and surrogate markers of vaccine induced protection and develop second generation TB vaccines with increased potency and broader protection.

Keywords: BCG cost drugs HIV IAS 2009 MDR-TB prevention TB vaccine XDR-TB

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