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New data indicates that a malaria vaccine, created with the assistance of researchers from Oxford University, is approximately 78% successful in protecting young children.
The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the use of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine last year.
Recent data from a phase 3 study on children in Africa confirms the vaccine’s effectiveness and safety.
A study was conducted in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania where over 4,800 young children were vaccinated. The results showed an average efficacy of 78% in the age group of five to 17 months during the first year.
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The phase 3 trials of R21/Matrix-M in The Lancet study represents a major progress in our fight against this worldwide danger.
According to experts, no other vaccine has currently shown an effectiveness of more than 55% in the same age group.
Based on the results reported in The Lancet, administering a booster dose after one year maintained strong effectiveness for the next six to twelve months.
The effectiveness ranged from 68% to 75% for children aged five to 36 months.
As of now, the Serum Institute of India (SII) has produced and prepared 25 million doses for distribution in the next three to four months.
The vaccine showed a significant boost in immune responses and a slightly better effectiveness in children aged five to 17 months compared to those aged 18 to 36 months. This supports the decision to administer the vaccine to African children starting at five months of age.
Malaria is responsible for the most deaths in African children, resulting in 600,000 fatalities annually.
Two vaccines have recently been approved by the WHO and have completed the pre-qualification process. They will begin to be distributed early this year.
Professor Adrian Hill, lead researcher for the R21/Matrix-M phase 3 study, stated: “The sustained effectiveness of this novel vaccine in field tests is extremely promising and aligns with the strong effectiveness and long-lasting effects seen in a smaller phase 2b trial over four years.”
Audrey Duncanson, the manager of innovation transition at Wellcome, stated that despite efforts to reduce its prevalence, malaria continues to pose a significant threat to the health of a large portion of the world’s population. It remains a major issue in African countries, resulting in an estimated 600,000 deaths of children under five years old.
The findings of the phase 3 trial for the R21 malaria vaccine have the potential to greatly improve the treatment of malaria in children.
This is a significant advancement in obtaining a highly efficient, secure, easily obtainable and cost-effective vaccination to safeguard children in African nations from malaria.
The CEO of SSI, Adar Poonawalla, stated that the R21/Matrix-M phase 3 trials study published in The Lancet is a major step forward in our fight against this worldwide danger.
Our goal is to provide this vaccine to those in need, particularly in Africa where malaria poses a significant danger to millions of people. This brings us one step closer to a world free from malaria.
The cost of the vaccine ranges from $2 to $4 per dose, making it an affordable option.
More than 28 African nations are set to implement a malaria vaccine that is recommended by the WHO as a component of their domestic vaccination initiatives.
Novavax AB produces Matrix-M adjuvant, which is then supplied to SII for use in creating the final vaccine product.
An adjuvant is a component utilized in certain vaccines to improve the immune system’s reaction, thus increasing their effectiveness.
Source: independent.co.uk
