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The first malaria vaccination campaign for children, supported by the World Health Organization, began in Africa on Monday, with nearly 30 million shots to be distributed over the coming months, a milestone in the fight against the tropical disease.
Children in Cameroon will begin receiving malaria vaccines as part of the rollout of a drug developed by British pharmaceutical company GSK to up to 12 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The second vaccine, developed by scientists at Oxford University and produced by the Serum Institute of India, is expected to be rolled out in May or June in seven countries.
The first 18 million doses will be a critical part of the fight against malaria, a preventable disease caused by a mosquito-borne parasite that killed 608,000 people (95% of them) in Africa in 2022. It marks a turning point.
“Vaccination will save lives, provide significant relief to families and national health systems, and will also bring important economic benefits,” said Aurelia, chief program officer at Gavi, the Global Vaccine Alliance, which works with African countries. Nguyen said. Adjust your deployment.
Children under the age of 5 are especially susceptible to this disease. GSK's RTS,S vaccine has already been introduced to approximately 2 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi as part of a pilot program. WHO research It has been shown to reduce severe malaria symptoms by 30%.
More than 30 countries across the continent have expressed interest in receiving the malaria shot. Up to 18 million doses of the RTS,S vaccine will be distributed by Gavi, followed by an estimated 10 million doses of the R21/Matrix-M jab across seven countries in mid-2024.
The WHO first recommended widespread use of the GSK shot in 2021. In October, the WHO also endorsed the Oxford vaccine.
The plan faces logistical challenges. Children require four vaccinations within the first two years of life, creating logistical challenges for medical teams to reach families in remote areas. Health leaders hope to increase uptake of all four doses by aligning malaria vaccinations with other vaccinations such as measles.
“When children come to their other vaccination appointments, they will be given the malaria vaccine. There are challenges in areas that children cannot reach. [we need] We need regional strategies to ensure children keep coming back,” said Dorothy Achu, WHO Regional Malaria Advisor.
Adrian Hill, one of the Oxford scientists behind the R21 jab, criticizes WHO for lack of 'urgency' after it targeted distribution of jab by mid-2024 did.
Oxford's partnership with the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker, allows it to produce the vaccine on a much larger scale than GSK. SII announced late last year that it had produced 20 million doses and “already” had the capacity to produce 100 million doses a year.
But Nguyen said the R21 vaccine is in the early stages of production and could be available in May or June, reiterating the mid-year goal.
She added that there is a need for continued innovation. “These are two really good vaccines. We want to continue to develop the vaccine, possibly reduce the number of doses on the schedule, and promote affordability and ease of use.”
Additional reporting by Donato Paolo Mancini
