malaria vaccine.

 The World Health Organization has approved a second, less expensive malaria vaccine.

A nurse fills a syringe with malaria vaccine before administering it to an infant at the Lumumba Sub-County Hospital in Kisumu, Kenya, July 1, 2022. (Baz Ratner/Reuters)


The World Health Organization has authorized a new anti-malaria vaccine, which will provide countries with a more affordable and accessible way to tackle one of Africa's major causes of infant mortality.


The R21/Matrix-M vaccine, developed by Oxford University, is the second such vaccination to be recommended by the WHO, according to a statement released on Monday.

Based on preclinical and clinical trial results, the vaccine reduced symptomatic cases by 75% after a three-dose series over a year in areas with high seasonal malaria transmission. Oxford said in a statement that the Phase III clinical study results are being peer reviewed.

R21 was a cost-effective intervention, according to the WHO, which expects the vaccine to be ready by mid-2024 at a cost of $2-4 per dosage.


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"As a malaria researcher, I used to fantasize about the day when we would have a malaria vaccine that was both safe and effective." "We now have two," said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement.


Malaria is a potentially fatal but curable disease spread mostly through mosquito bites. Malaria causes fever, chills, and flu-like symptoms in people.

Millions of cases are reported each year, and the WHO estimates that malaria will kill 619,000 people in 2021. According to the WHO, nearly all malaria occurrences occur in Africa, and children under the age of five account for 80 percent of deaths reported in the continent.





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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States reports roughly 2,000 malaria cases each year, with the vast majority of those contracted abroad. Most recently, in July, health officials issued a warning following the news of a few cases in Florida and Texas in persons who had not traveled.

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malaria develop fever, chills and flu-like symptoms.

Millions of cases are reported every year, and the WHO reported an estimated 619,000 deaths from malaria in 2021. Nearly all of the malaria cases occur in Africa, and children under 5 account for 80 percent of the deaths reported in the region, according to the WHO.


The WHO said there is no evidence to suggest one vaccine performs better than the other, adding that the two have not been tested in a head-to-head trial. Last year, the Associated Press reported that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation ended direct financial support to RTS,S, saying it had lower efficacy than they wanted.


Public health experts lauded the breakthrough, but cautioned that a lot more needed to be done in the fight against malaria.


According to Gareth Jenkins, executive director of advocacy and strategy at the NGO Malaria No More UK, it is critical that both vaccinations receive money and support in order to reach children in need as quickly as possible.

"The reality is that malaria financing globally is far from where it needs to be and annual deaths from malaria rose during the pandemic and are still above pre-pandemic levels, so we cannot afford to be complacent as new tools are developed," he stated.

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