Alternative vaccination route protects against TB

Rijswijk, 21 January - A different approach to vaccination could stop hypersensitive rhesus monkeys from developing tuberculosis (TB). Researchers from the Biomedical Primate Research Centre (BPRC) have demonstrated that administration of the existing BCG vaccine via the airways instead of the skin can protect against TB. As far as is known, this is the first time that the protection of rhesus monkeys against infection with TB - by means of a preventive vaccine - has been documented. Nature Medicine, a prominent scientific magazine, published the BPRC article about this study this week.