Second malaria vaccine debuts in Ivory Coast, marking new milestone

A second malaria vaccine has been introduced in Ivory Coast, signifying a crucial advancement in the global battle against malaria. This new vaccine aims to improve prevention efforts and reduce the disease's impact, particularly in regions heavily affected by malaria. The launch marks a significant step forward in public health, offering new hope for better protection against the disease and potentially saving countless lives in the process.

Boston Brand Media brings you the latest news - The world's second malaria vaccine was launched on Monday as Ivory Coast began a routine vaccination program using shots developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India.

The introduction of the World Health Organization (WHO)-approved R21 vaccine comes six months after the first malaria vaccine, RTS,S, developed by British drugmaker GSK, began being administered in a routine program in Cameroon.

Around 15 African countries plan to introduce one of the two malaria vaccines this year with support from the Gavi global vaccine alliance.

Ivory Coast has received 656,600 doses of the Oxford and Serum shot, which will initially vaccinate 250,000 children aged between 0 and 23 months across the West African country. The vaccine has also been approved by Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic.

Boston Brand Media also found that the rollout of a second vaccine marks a significant milestone in the global fight against malaria and should help address a problem that existed before the launch of these vaccines: demand is likely to far outstrip supply for several years.

Experts emphasize that having safe and effective malaria vaccines is crucial to meet demand. The shot is intended to work alongside existing tools—such as bed nets—to combat malaria, which kills nearly half a million children under the age of five each year in Africa.

The Serum Institute of India, which manufactures the vaccine, has produced 25 million doses for the initial rollout and "is committed to scaling up to 100 million doses annually," the company announced on Monday about the launch in Ivory Coast.

Serum said it is offering the vaccine for less than $4 per dose, aligning with its goal to deliver low-cost vaccines at scale.

Results from a large trial in February showed the vaccine prevented around three-quarters of symptomatic malaria cases in young children during the first year after vaccination.

Experts told Reuters at that time that comparing the two malaria vaccines head-to-head was challenging due to the many variables involved in the trials, but overall their performance was similar—a conclusion endorsed by WHO.

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Source: Reuters‍