TB jab is 'in sight'

Testing at Porton Down, First vaccine for adults may end growing threat said to be very promising'

- MARTIN BAGOT

THE first tuberculosis vaccine targeted at adults is tantalisingly close.

British military testing site Porton Down is evaluating several TB vaccine candidates on animals, on behalf of pharmaceutical companies.

And one of these is said to be “very promising”.

Tuberculosis is overtaking Covid as the world’s deadliest infectious disease.

Experts fear mutant strains resistant to antibiotics could be imported to Britain.

TB immunity from the current BCG jab, given to young children, wanes before the teenage years.

Tests using live TB bacteria are being carried out in the world-leading high containment labs at Porton Down in Wiltshire.

It is understood that the MTBVAC jab created by Spanish company Biofabri now stands out as a great hope of a breakthrough. A Porton Down source said: “We have tested every TB vaccine candidate on this site. The MTBVAC Spanish one is very promising.”