After several trials on 409 West African children, the R21 vaccine showed an efficiency of 80% protection against malaria with the administration of the first three doses followed by a booster after one year. This will significantly reduce the death rate among children suffering from the disease. It could even disappear in the years to come. Its deployment is planned for next year in Burkina Faso.
Researchers have discovered that the R21/Matrix-M #malaria vaccine provides durable protection for children in Africa after booster dose. Learn more about the latest vaccine trials: https://t.co/vGezpluZ5e #EndMalaria
— Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (@gavi) September 14, 2022
Several malaria vaccine candidates tested on humans have never met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) efficacy target of more than 75%. “This is something new in the history of malaria vaccine research. This means that we can maintain more than 75% efficacy over the long term if we give a booster dose and this should allow children living in malaria-endemic areas like Burkina to be very well protected against the disease at the age when they are most vulnerable,” says Halidou Tinto, professor of parasitology and principal investigator of the trial in Burkina Faso.
Malaria, also known as “swamp fever”, is an infectious disease caused by a parasite of the genus Plasmodium, spread by the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 241 million people were affected worldwide in 2020, including 627,000 deaths, the largest number being children in sub-Saharan Africa. Now, a vaccine, without serious side effects, according to the experts, exists and is recommended by the WHO, it is the R21.
