According to reports, the R21 vaccine has demonstrated a high level of efficacy, representing a significant breakthrough in the fight against malaria.
Preliminary trial data from Burkina Faso showed that the vaccine was up to 80% effective when administered in three initial doses, with a booster given a year later.
The Ghana Food and Drugs Authority has reportedly reviewed the data and authorized the vaccine for children between five months and three years old.
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The World Health Organization is also reviewing the vaccine’s data and considering its approval, while other African countries are studying it.
The Serum Institute of India is preparing to manufacture between 100-200 million vaccine doses annually, with a vaccine factory being constructed in Accra, Ghana. Each dose is expected to cost a couple of dollars, making it an affordable option for people living in low-income areas.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute, said that developing a vaccine to impact the disease burden of malaria had been an extraordinarily difficult task. He added that Ghana’s vaccine approval was a “significant milestone in our efforts to combat malaria around the world.”
Malaria claims the lives of around 620,000 people yearly, with young children being the most vulnerable. Developing a vaccine to protect against the malaria parasite has been a massive scientific undertaking over the past century.
