Table 4.

BCG and new vaccines against tuberculosis: the facts.

1. BCG as a prime is >70% effective in mycobacteria-naïve infants

2. BCG as a prime is highly effective for 20 years, with lower levels of efficacy demonstrable for 50 years.

3. BCG as a prime is effective against pulmonary tuberculosis

4. There are no data to support a geographical differences in the efficacy of a BCG prime in mycobacteria-naïve infants

5. Multiple live and inactivated whole cell vaccines have been shown effective in the prevention of tuberculosis in humans

6. Data on heterologous immunity supports the development of vaccines based on any species within the genus Mycobacteria