Scientists at the University of Oxford develop a Malaria vaccine that can give up to 80% protection. The team now expect it to be rolled out next year after the successful trials. In addition to the effectiveness of the vaccine, it is cheap and an agreement exists to manufacture more than 100 million doses a year.
The charity Malaria No More said recent progress meant children dying from malaria could end “in our lifetimes”.It has taken more than a century to develop effective vaccines as the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquitoes, is spectacularly complex and elusive. It is a constantly moving target, shifting forms inside the body, which make it hard to immunize against.
Trial results from 409 children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, have been published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. It shows three initial doses followed by a booster a year later gives up to 80% protection.