Archives de pédiatrie : organe officiel de la Sociéte française de pédiatrie
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Today, only one type of vaccine is available to protect against tuberculosis. This vaccine, called Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) was developed approximately 100 years ago and has been administered at least 3 billion times. Initial multicenter studies have indicated an up to 93% efficacy against childhood tuberculosis mortality. ⋯ These antigens can be presented in several different ways, and preference is currently given to the so-called latency antigens. Both approaches have yielded encouraging results in animal models, and some of them have now entered clinical trials. Although still far from human applications, it is hoped that these strategies will ultimately help to reduce the enormous burden that is caused by tuberculosis.