July marks the 100-year anniversary of the Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine (BCG), still the only approved vaccine against TB. More than a dozen vaccines for TB are currently being tested in clinical trials: some use whole bacteria as BCG does, while others deliver protein subunits or genetic material carried by viral vectors.
The Scientist reports on the discovery and shortcomings of BCG as well as on the new TB vaccines on the horizon: