The malaria vaccine that just rolled out has a surprise benefit for kids
The rollout of malaria vaccines in Africa – the world's first routine immunization program against this mosquito-borne disease – has raised excitement for a surprising reason. The vaccine reduces all kinds of deaths among children – not just malaria deaths – by 13%.
This RTS,S vaccine is "not only a huge step forward for malaria control but also a major advancement in child health," says Dr. Mary Hamel, the World Health Organization's senior technical officer on malaria, in an email interview with NPR.
The 13% statistic came from a successful WHO pilot campaign in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, where have received the malaria vaccine since 2019. Developed by the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, the RTS,S vaccine about 39% of malaria cases and 32% of severe cases in Phase 3 trials, as compiled by WHO.
