A new malaria vaccine that has been termed a “world-changer” by the scientists who created it, and Ghana has become the first country to approve it. Contrary to other attempts in the same field, the vaccination, known as R21, seems to be very effective.
The final trial data on the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, which has not yet been made public, was evaluated by Ghana’s drug authorities, who then opted to use it. The new malaria vaccine is also being considered for approval by the World Health Organization.
Despite advances in bed nets, pesticides, and medications, Malaria kills about 620,000 people each year, most of them young children. A significant, century-long scientific effort has gone into creating a vaccination that guards against the malaria parasite. The R21 vaccine was up to 80% effective, according to trial results from early studies in Burkina Faso, when administered as three initial doses and a booster a year later.
Scientists claim that the new malaria vaccine will change the world. However, the success of a larger experiment involving close to 5,000 children will determine how widely the vaccine is used. These have yet to happen, despite being anticipated to occur towards the end of last year. However, several African governments and scientists have had access to them.
The use of the vaccination in children between the ages of five months and three years old has been approved by Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority, which has examined the data. The World Health Organization and other African nations are also analysing the data.
Prof. Adrian Hill, director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University, where the new malaria vaccine was developed, claims that African countries are saying “we’ll decide” because they were left behind in the Covid-19 vaccine deployment during the pandemic.
According to the BBC, he said, “We expect R21 to make a major impact on malaria mortality in children in the coming years, and in the longer term [it] will contribute to overall final goal of malaria eradication and elimination.”
The Serum Institute of India is constructing a vaccination facility in Accra, Ghana, and is planning to produce 100–200 million doses annually. The new malaria vaccine is anticipated to cost a couple of dollars for each dose.
The CEO of the Serum Institute, Adar Poonawalla, stated: “Developing a vaccine to greatly impact this huge disease burden has been extraordinarily difficult.” He added that Ghana, as the first country to approve the vaccine, represents a “significant milestone in our efforts to combat malaria around the world”.
New Malaria Vaccine is World-Changing, Say Scientists
Due to the malaria parasite’s complexities and elusiveness, which is spread by mosquitoes, it has taken more than a century to create viable vaccinations. It is challenging to develop an immunity to it since it is a dynamic target that changes forms inside the body.
Last year, the World Health Organization gave the historic go-ahead for the new malaria vaccine – developed by pharmaceutical company, GSK – to be used in Africa. The Oxford team asserts that their method is superior and can be produced on a far larger scale.
The Lancet Infectious Diseases has released the trial findings from 409 kids in Nanoro, Burkina Faso. It demonstrates that three initial doses plus a booster shot given a year later can provide up to 80% protection.
The Serum Institute of India, the biggest vaccine producer in the world, has already committed to producing more than 100 million doses of the new malaria vaccine annually.