The co-inventor of malaria vaccine in a statement said he hopes that the vaccine could be approved by next year after the latest trial results were successful.
Professor Adrian Hill, co-creator the COVID vaccine, AstraZeneca, said that it was “the best vaccine for malaria to date”. He has earlier said that he believes R21 could reduce deaths from malaria by 70% by 2030 and eradicate the disease by 2040.
Results Showed By R21 Vaccine
Results showed that the R21, that has already shown to be effective more than 75% after the initial doses. It also maintains its high efficiency after just a single booster shot.
Researchers expect that the vaccine could be approved by the WHO (World Health Organization) next year.
The Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria, has warned that unless they receive a good amount of money, it will not be able to meet the process of making vaccines available after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scientists have been finding an effective vaccine against malaria for more than 100 years. The disease has killed millions of people and continues to kills thousands of people annually.
The First Vaccine To Meet WHO Efficiency Target
R21, is the first malaria vaccine to meet the efficiency target of 75% by WHO. It is licensed to the Serum Institute of India. It is ready to manufacture 200m doses annually from next year.
A trial was took place that involved more than 400 children aged between 5-17 months. Who got three doses of the vaccine in 2019,. Followed by a booster shot 12 months later, before the peak of the malaria season.
The findings were released in the LID, showcasing that among children who received a booster shot with an increased dosage of an immune-boosting adjuvant, the vaccine demonstrated an 80% effectiveness rate. For those given a booster with a lower adjuvant dose, the efficacy was 70%. Researchers noted the absence of any severe side effects in the study participants.
