World’s first malaria vaccine 'Mosquirix' approved by WHO in Africa

In a historic event, the World Health Organization (WHO) on October 6 approved the first-ever malaria vaccine ‘Mosquirix’ which can save lives of tens of thousands of sub-Saharan African kids impacted by the disease. The research for the vaccine has been underway for over a hundred years, a WHO official said at a presser.  The recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi that has been administered to hundreds of thousands of kids since 2019.

WHO’s director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that after a successful pilot programme in at least three African countries the RTS vaccine has received a green light to be rolled out widely. Scientists on the WHO's advisory bodies for immunization and malaria teams have called the vaccine a breakthrough that could save lives from the deadly disease. 

“This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Using this vaccine on top of existing  tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year.”

“I started my career as a malaria researcher, and I longed for the day that we would have an effective vaccine against this ancient and terrible disease. And today is that day, an historic day. Today the WHO is recommending the broad use of the world’s first malaria vaccine,” Dr Tedros further added at a press conference in Geneva.

'Mosquirix' vaccine administered to more than 800,000 children

According to WHO, Malaria disease remains a primary cause of childhood illness and death in sub-Saharan Africa. More than 260,000 African children under the age of five die due to malaria annually. The game-changer RTS, S vaccine also known as the  Mosquirix has been manufactured by the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). More than 800,000 children in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have received the jab since WHO’s first pilot programme kick-started in 2019. The vaccine can curb malaria infection cases by almost 39 percent and 29 percent of severe malaria cases among small children in Africa. The results were concluded after 4 years of trial.

"For centuries, malaria has stalked sub-Saharan Africa, causing immense personal suffering,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa at the news conference. 

“We have long hoped for an effective malaria vaccine and now for the first time ever, we have such a vaccine recommended for widespread use. Today’s recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent which shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease and we expect many more African children to be protected from malaria and grow into healthy adults.”

The clinical trial results from the study conducted by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) had earlier found that the young children who were given both the RTS, S, and antimalarial drugs depicted at least  70% reduction in fatalities and hospitalization, according to reports. 

“Using this vaccine in addition to existing tools to prevent malaria could save tens of thousands of young lives each year,” said WHO’s Dr. Tedros on Wednesday. “It is safe. It significantly reduces life-threatening, severe malaria, and we estimate it to be highly cost-effective,” he added. 

Furthermore, the WHO chief stated, “Malaria has been with us for millennia, and the dream of a malaria vaccine has been a long held, but unattainable dream. Today, the RTS,S malaria vaccine, more than 30 years in the making, changes the course of public health history. We still have a very long road to travel. But this is a long stride down that road.”

Vaccine 'feasible, improves health,' says WHO

WHO on Wednesday stated that the malaria vaccine introduction is feasible, improves health and saves lives, with good and equitable coverage of RTS, S as was seen through routine immunization systems, for example, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the pilot programme showed that more than two-thirds of children in the 3 countries who are not sleeping under a bednet are benefitting from the RTS,S vaccine. To date, more than 2.3 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in 3 African countries, said WHO, adding that the vaccine has a favorable safety profile. The global health agency further stated that the next steps for the WHO-recommended malaria vaccine will include funding decisions from the global health community for broader rollout, and country decision-making on whether to adopt the vaccine as part of national malaria control strategies.