Malaria: a new vaccine could change the world

in collaboration with

Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)

According to the WHO, more than 241 million people suffer from malaria worldwide. A potentially fatal disease, caused by parasites transmitted by mosquito bites. However, great news: researchers at the University of Oxford have just developed a brand new vaccine targeting the famous parasites. The results of the trial appeared in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Up to 80% protection against malaria

To arrive at a conclusive rate of effectiveness, the scientists conducted a vaccine trial in Nanoro (Burkina Faso), on 409 infants, aged 5 to 17 months. All received three initial doses followed by a booster one year later.

At the end of the test, the results showed that this vaccine regimen offered children “up to 80% protection” against the disease. For researchers, this is a real scientific feat:

In the coming weeks, the research team will confirm these initial positive results with a larger trial; including this time nearly 4800 children.

The professor points out that the vaccine is particularly cheap. It would indeed cost only “a few dollars”.

A price, which already interests many health actors. The laboratory has thus succeeded in winning a contract which will enable it, in the long term, to manufacture more than 100 million doses per year.

The ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine – made by British multinational GSK – targets the first stage of the parasite’s life cycle by intercepting it before it reaches the liver and takes up residence in the body.

A real scientific feat since malaria parasites have a very complex development. They go through different stages and change form inside the organism, which complicates the work of researchers.

With this vaccine, scientists strongly hope to reduce “ this horrible burden of malaria which mostly kills children under 5 in Africa.