TUBERCULOSIS: TB vaccine trial in Kenya

By GEORGE OLWENYA
Trials for the first ever Tuberculosis (TB) vaccine to be conducted in four African countries has kicked off in Kenya’s Siaya District.
Ninety-six children aged between 16 to 26 weeks will be immunised in Boro Division. Research shows the area has the highest TB infection rate in the country.
Other countries where the trials are expected to take place are South Africa, Mozambique and Uganda.
The Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) and the American funded Centres for Disease Control (CDC) will conduct the trials in partnership with the Global TB Foundation.
Kemri/CDC Field Research Station director Kayla Laserson said the trials will last six months before being moved to Karemo Division in Siaya.
Dr Laserson said this would bring to 192 the number of infants to be vaccinated for the next 12 months.
Speaking during the launch of the trials at Boro Primary School at the weekend, Laserson disclosed only those children not infected with the HIV virus would be covered and closely monitored for six months.
She said the vaccine developed by researchers from US and the Netherlands would help reduce TB infections, a major killer disease.
Laserson said Kenya was ranked 13 of 22 countries with the highest TB prevalence globally, hence the need to take a leading role in the search for an effective vaccine.
treatment success
The World Health Organisation (WHO) the estimated incidence rate of TB in sub-Saharan Africa is nearly twice that of the South-East Asia Region with over 350 cases per 100 000 population.
According to WHO, Kenya is the first country in sub-Saharan africa to achieve global targets for case detection and treatment success.
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