Exciting News: WHO Approves New Malaria Vaccine for Children – A Game-Changer in the Fight Against Malaria

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The World Health Organization has given its approval to a malaria vaccine developed by Oxford University that has demonstrated long-lasting protection in children, representing a significant milestone in the treatment of the disease.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of WHO, announced on Monday that the organization is recommending a second vaccine for widespread use in the prevention of malaria in children.

“As a malaria researcher, I used to dream of the day we would have a safe and effective vaccine against malaria,” Tedros said. “Now we have two.”

The approval of R21/Matrix-M provides an extremely effective treatment option for malaria. In 2021, the WHO recommended the widespread use of the GSK-produced RTS,S/AS01, which Tedros stated had similar efficacy to the Oxford vaccine.

This latest vaccine will be distributed on a large scale in sub-Saharan African countries where children are at the highest risk of malaria. Oxford University has partnered with the Serum Institute of India (SII) for the production of the vaccine.

Tedros estimated that the cost of each vaccine shot would range from $2 to $4, which he described as “comparable to other malaria interventions and other childhood vaccines”.

The approval of R21 will help meet the significant demand for malaria vaccines, according to WHO officials. So far, eighteen countries have expressed interest in procuring the vaccine through Gavi, the global vaccine alliance. This represents the highest demand for any vaccine in the first year of applications, said Mary Hamel, the WHO’s team lead for malaria vaccines.

Oxford University stated that SII has already established a production capacity of 100 million doses annually, which will be doubled over the next two years.

“This level of production is crucial because vaccinating those at high risk of malaria is important in controlling the spread of the disease and protecting the vaccinated individuals,” added Oxford University on Monday.

The decision to approve the vaccine was based on recommendations from the WHO’s strategic advisory group of immunisation experts and its malaria policy advisory group. These groups reviewed evidence showing that the vaccine reduced symptomatic cases by 75 per cent in the first year after three doses, with a fourth dose maintaining protection.

The vaccine utilizes an adjuvant produced by US drugmaker Novavax to enhance its effectiveness by boosting the body’s immune response. Regulators in Ghana were the first to approve the vaccine this year.

Malaria, transmitted by mosquitoes carrying parasites, remains a significant health threat worldwide, particularly in Africa, where 96 percent of the global deaths from malaria occurred in 2021.

In the region, children under five accounted for four-fifths of all malaria-related deaths. Although the disease is preventable and curable, there were still over 240 million cases reported worldwide in 2021. 

R21 targets the parasite in its early stages, immediately after it comes into contact with the human body. A study published last year demonstrated that a booster dose of the R21 vaccine was up to 80 percent effective.

“There is an unprecedented demand for malaria vaccines, but the available supply of RTS,S is limited,” stated the WHO. “The addition of R21 to the list of WHO-recommended malaria vaccines is expected to provide sufficient vaccine supply to benefit all children in areas where malaria poses a public health risk.”

Adrian Hill, the director of Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and the developer of the vaccine, said that the vaccine is “cost-effective and affordable” and ready to be distributed in areas where it is most needed, with the potential to save hundreds of thousands of lives each year.