A novel malaria vaccine has gained approval and the endorsement of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Researchers from the University of Oxford have meticulously examined and formulated a fresh vaccine to combat malaria – only the second vaccine to ever secure approval for this ailment.
In an exposition for The Conversation, Professor Adrian Hill, PhD, an expert in human genetics at the Jenner Institute at the University of Oxford, contended that the newfound vaccine holds the potential to obliterate malaria.
“I don’t anticipate this happening in five or ten years, but rather within approximately 15 years. So, setting the year 2040 as a feasible objective,” he opined.
Malaria to be eradicated by 2040
According to WHO sources, the new vaccine, denominated R21/Matrix-M, was conceived to thwart malaria, an affliction that afflicted an estimated 247 million people in 2021 alone.
As per the World Malaria Report 2022, the estimate stands at over 200 million instances of malaria across the globe per year, resulting in over 600,000 casualties, with children below the age of five constituting about 75% of all fatalities.
This marks the introduction of the second malaria vaccine. The first vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, obtained WHO’s endorsement in 2021.
This new vaccine, crafted by the Serum Institute of India, is expected to be more cost-effective to manufacture than the original, potentially enabling a broader population to make use of it, with costs estimated at approximately R40 to R80 per dose, according to the WHO.
The Serum Institute of India reported, “The vaccine’s efficacy over 12 months stood at 75% in locations with high seasonal malaria transmission and 68% in areas with more perennial transmission.”
Boosters are necessary
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said, “As a malaria researcher, I used to dream of the day we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria. Now we have two,” in a press release.
This innovative vaccine necessitates three dosages, with a booster administered after 12 months.
“The ultimate goal in vaccinology is the development of vaccines against major diseases for which effective vaccines are either lacking or insufficient, such as malaria. It is exhilarating to witness the progress in not one, but two partially effective vaccines,” stated Dr. William Schaffner, a specialist in infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.
Nonetheless, despite needing one fewer dosage than the original vaccine, this malaria vaccine may still present certain challenges, as noted by Dr. Jodie Dionne, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Infectious Disease.
“This vaccine poses a certain level of complexity, as it must be synchronized with other pediatric vaccines administered within the community. Children who miss a dose or fall out of the prescribed schedule may not attain the same level of protection against the infection,” she explained.
Ready for production
The Serum Institute of India has asserted that they have established production capabilities to manufacture 100 million doses annually, with the potential to increase that number to over 200 million doses per year within the next two years.
“This abundance of available doses will significantly contribute to the prevention of illness in numerous children residing in regions with high malaria transmission,” Schaffner asserted.
Public health officials will target populations most severely impacted by malaria to mitigate the risk of severe illness and mortality.
“Children bear the brunt of the malaria burden, and the objective of these vaccines is primarily directed at this particularly susceptible demographic,” Schaffner elucidated.
