A vaccine called Mosquirix was developed by the British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). WHO recommends its use after evaluating the results of a pilot study conducted in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, in which over 900,000 children participated.
On October 6, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a recommendation for the widespread use of the first Mosquirix malaria vaccine and for the initiation of mass immunization of children against malaria. Experts estimate that this is a landmark decision when, following a successful pilot program in three African countries, the vaccine will be more widely available in sub-Saharan African countries and in other regions with moderate to high malaria transmission by P. falciparum. This program could save the lives of tens of thousands of children across Africa!!!
“This is a historic moment. The lng-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control. Using this vaccine on top of existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.” - said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The studies showed limited effectiveness of the vaccine at preventing 39% of malaria cases and 29% of severe malaria cases among young children in Africa. A recent study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that when young children were given both the vaccine and antimalarial drugs, the number of hospitalizations or deaths was reduced by 70%. This means that using the vaccine in combination with existing malaria prevention tools significantly reduces life-threatening severe malaria and could save tens of thousands of children each year.
