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Africa: towards a new malaria vaccine for children

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A second malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, has been officially prequalified by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The African media reported this, citing a WHO note and specifying that the vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford and produced by the Serum Institute of India, is now included in the WHO’s list of “prequalified vaccinations”.

WHO had previously recommended the use of this vaccine for the prevention of malaria in children, following the advice of its expert panel. This prequalification is crucial as it paves the way for greater accessibility to vaccines, considered key tools for the prevention of malaria in children.

The note released by the WHO underlined that this prequalification is a fundamental requirement for the purchase of the vaccine by UNICEF and for the financial support for distribution by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

R21/Matrix-M is the second malaria vaccine to be approved, following the RTS,S vaccine in 2021. WHO has noted high demand for the RTS,S vaccine, and the addition of this second option should meet demand and ensure an adequate supply of vaccines to benefit all children living in malaria-prone areas.

Both vaccines have been proven safe and effective in preventing malaria in children and, when implemented on a large scale, are expected to have a high impact on public health.

Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, affects children particularly badly in the African region, where nearly half a million children die from the disease each year. [Da Redazione InfoAfrica]

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