Why Is a 100-Year-Old Vaccine Still Our Only Defense Against the World’s Deadliest Disease

Why Is a 100-Year-Old Vaccine Still Our Only Defense Against the World’s Deadliest Disease

Tuberculosis (TB), the world’s oldest infectious disease, is also one of its deadliest. In 2024 alone, TB killed about 1.23 million people — more than the combined tolls from malaria and HIV/AIDS combined.  But unlike the urgent flashes of panic that accompany other global health crises, such as COVID-19 and Ebola, TB rarely dominates headlines anymore, nor does it trigger emergency responses from policymakers. Instead, the disease kills steadil…