On Monday, Ivory Coast launched the world’s second malaria vaccine as part of a routine vaccination program.
This initiative utilises shots developed by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India.
The rollout of the World Health Organisation (WHO) approved R21 vaccine occurred six months after the RTS, S malaria vaccine, developed by British pharmaceutical company GSK, was introduced in a routine vaccination program in Cameroon.
Around 15 African nations plan to roll out one of the two malaria vaccines this year, receiving support from the Gavi global vaccine alliance.
Ivory Coast has received 656,600 doses of the vaccine developed by Oxford and the Serum Institute, aimed at vaccinating 250,000 children between the ages of 0 and 23 months across the nation.
This vaccine has also gained approval in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic.
The introduction of a second malaria vaccine marks a significant advancement in the global battle against the disease.
However, it also highlights a pressing issue that has persisted since before the launch of either vaccine – the demand is expected to significantly exceed supply for the foreseeable future.
This disparity poses challenges for vaccination efforts, particularly in regions hardest hit by malaria, underscoring the urgent need for increased production and distribution to effectively combat the disease.
Experts stress the necessity of safe and effective malaria vaccines to meet increasing demand.
Designed to complement current prevention strategies like bed nets, the vaccine aims to tackle malaria, which leads to the deaths of nearly half a million children under five annually in Africa.
In preparation for the inaugural rollout in Ivory Coast, the Serum Institute of India has provided 25 million doses of the vaccine.
The company has also committed to increasing production to 100 million doses each year to address global demand, reflecting its dedication to improving malaria vaccination efforts across Africa and other regions.
The Serum Institute announced that it is pricing the vaccine at under $4 per dose, aligning with its goal of providing affordable vaccines on a large scale.
Findings from a major trial in February revealed that the vaccine effectively prevented around 75% of symptomatic malaria cases in young children within the first year after vaccination.
According to experts who spoke with Reuters, directly comparing the two malaria vaccines is complicated due to the multiple variables present in their clinical trials.
However, they noted that both vaccines exhibited comparable efficacy, a conclusion that has been supported by the World Health Organisation.
This similarity suggests that both vaccines could effectively aid in malaria prevention, especially in regions significantly impacted by the disease.
YOU MAY ALSO READ: South Africa’s Koeberg Nuclear plant granted 20-year extension for one unit