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WHO approves first malaria vaccine

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eMediNexus    07 October 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of the first ever vaccine for the prevention of malaria, which could save the lives of thousands of children in Africa every year. The vaccine stimulates a child’s immune system to fight Plasmodium falciparum, the most prevalent malaria parasite in Africa.

The vaccine had around 50% efficacy in clinical trials, against severe malaria in the first year; however, it declined to about zero by the fourth year. Moreover, the trials did not evaluate the vaccine’s effect on preventing deaths. Some experts therefore questioned if it is worth investing in the vaccine in countries with innumerable other problems. However, severe malaria is accountable for nearly half of malaria deaths. Dr. Mary Hamel, leading WHO’s malaria vaccine implementation program, said that they expect to see the impact.

A modelling study conducted last year noted that if the vaccine was rolled out to countries where the incidence of malaria was the highest, 5.4 million cases and 23,000 deaths could be prevented in children below 5 years of age every year… (ET Healthworld – NYT News Service, October 7, 2021)

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