NEW TB VACCINE BRIEFING
New TB vaccines could change the course of the epidemic, saving millions of lives and reducing long-term costs. The current BCG vaccine is over 100 years old and offers limited protection for adolescents and adults, who are most at risk.
After decades of research, several new vaccine candidates are in final trials, with results expected in 2027 and 2028. Early preparation for roll-out will be key to ensuring access that is timely, equitable and affordable.
Informed by an expert panel of scientists, policymakers and people with lived experience (see below), this briefing, published November 2025, outlines what good vaccine preparedness looks like and how parliamentarians can drive early action.
The primer acts as an Executive Summary.
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EXPERT PANEL
Prof Ricardo Arcêncio
Prof Arcêncio is Professor of Nursing at the University of São Paulo and President of the Brazilian Tuberculosis Research Network (REDE-TB). A leading expert in communicable diseases and TB geoepidemiology, he also serves as Adjunct Faculty at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and supports researcher training across Latin America and Africa.
Prof Erlina Burhan
Prof Burhan is a pulmonologist at the University of Indonesia and a leading expert in TB diagnosis and management, including drug-resistant TB. She is a member of the WHO guideline development group and represents private sector providers on the Stop TB Partnership Board.
Prof Gavin Churchyard
Prof Churchyard is a leading TB physician, researcher, and founder of The Aurum Institute, South Africa. He holds honorary professorships at Wits University and Vanderbilt University and has shaped global TB research priorities through WHO advisory roles. He has led numerous clinical trials, contributed to TB/HIV policy, and published extensively, advancing TB treatment and prevention worldwide.
Dr Rebecca Clark
Dr Clark is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her research focusses on using modelling to estimate the health and economic impact of the
introduction of new TB vaccines under varying delivery strategies. She acted as alternate for Prof Richard White on the expert panel.
Mike Frick
Mike Frick is Co-Director of the TB programme at Treatment Action Group (TAG), where he leads advocacy for TB prevention, vaccine research, and equitable access. He also tracks global TB R&D funding and promotes the human right to benefit from scientific progress.
Dr Birgitte Giersing
Dr Giersing leads the new vaccine product development work in WHO’s Immunization, Vaccines & Biologicals department and heads the TB Vaccine Accelerator Secretariat. With over a decade at WHO and 25 years of experience in vaccine development, she focuses on accelerating pathways to vaccine approval and global policy, to expedite readiness for uptake in low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Ann Ginsberg
Dr Ginsberg led the TB vaccine strategy at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation until her retirement in August 2025, overseeing investments to advance TB vaccine development. Previously Chief Medical Officer at Aeras and the TB Alliance, she began her TB career at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Dr Leesa Lin
Dr Lin is Co-Director of the Vaccine Confidence Project and Associate Professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her work integrates AI and digital health innovation with behavioural science, epidemiology, and implementation science to strengthen vaccine confidence, counter misinformation, enhance preparedness, and global health equity in collaboration with public, private and community partners.
Shelly Malhotra
Shelly Malhotra is Vice President for Global Access and External Affairs at IAVI, leading strategies to ensure equitable access to new innovations. With over two decades in global health, she previously directed market access at TB Alliance and worked across Asia-Pacific on health partnerships.
Prof Norbert Ndjeka
Prof Ndjeka is Chief Director of South Africa’s National TB Control and Management Programme. Under his leadership, TB testing and treatment have expanded significantly, reducing drug-resistant TB and improving outcomes. He also chairs the SADC END TB Committee and serves as an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town.
Dr Mahfuzur Rahman
Dr Rahman is Chief of Staff at IRD Global, where he oversees strategic coordination and stakeholder engagement across Asia and Africa. A physician and public health researcher, he has contributed to Bangladesh’s TB policy and works to strengthen patient-centred, scalable health innovations in underserved communities. Dr Rahman acted as the lived experience expert/ affected community rep on this expert panel.
Dr Frauke Uekermann
Dr Uekermann is Director of Vaccine Markets at the Clinton Health Access Initiative, leading efforts to improve vaccine access in low- and middle-income countries. Previously with Boston Consulting Group, she holds a PhD in behavioural economics from the University of St. Gallen.
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Verena Damovsky
Verena Damovsky is a Programme Manager at the Clinton Health Access Initiative, focusing on vaccine market shaping and future TB vaccine demand. Based in Côte d’Ivoire, she previously worked with Boston Consulting Group and holds a Master’s in International Development from Sciences Po, Paris. She acted as alternate for Dr Frauke Uekermann on the expert panel.
Prof Richard White
Prof White is Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he cofounded the Centre for Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases. He directs the TB Modelling and Analysis Consortium and co-chairs global TB vaccine research consortia.