A malaria vaccine has shown promise in trials involving African children, it was announced today.
The vaccine was found to be partially effective in the children for up to four years after vaccination.
It worked better in children than in young infants, according to the report in The Lancet.
Some 15,459 infants and children from seven countries took part in the research involving the vaccine RTS,S/AS01.
An analysis last year found that after 18 months, the vaccine had reduced malaria rates by 46% in children and by 27% in infants.
Following this some children were given booster shots.
Researchers found that with the booster, the vaccine cut rates of malaria by 36% over four years among children. The reduction was 26% among infants.
Researcher Professor Brian Greenwood, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, said: "Given that there were an estimated 198 million malaria cases in 2013, this level of efficacy potentially translates into millions of cases of malaria in children being prevented.”
* Meanwhile the World Health Organisation released an up-dated version of its malaria treatment guidelines for World Malaria Day tomorrow (April 25).
Dr Hiroki Nakatani, from WHO, said: “As we celebrate World Malaria Day on April 25, we must recognize the urgent need to expand prevention measures and quality-assured diagnostic testing and treatment to reduce the human suffering caused by malaria.”
Efficacy and safety of RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine with or without a booster dose in infants and children in Africa: final results of a phase 3, individually randomised, controlled trial RTS,S Clinical Trials Partnership Lancet 24 April 2015
Leave a Reply