Second malaria vaccine prequalified by WHO: Know what this means – IndiaTimes

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has added the second malaria vaccine to its list of prequalified vaccines. The vaccine, R21/ Matrix-M malaria vaccine , was recommended by the WHO for malaria treatment in October 2023. The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine prequalified by the WHO, following the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine which obtained prequalification status in July 2022. What does it mean to be a prequalified vaccine? As per the information available on the official website of the WHO, if a vaccine has undergone thorough evaluation of relevant data, testing of samples and WHO inspection of relevant manufacturing sites and the outcome is positive it is included in the WHO List of Prequalified Vaccines. Vitamin B12 deficiency signs that are mostly ignored The R21 vaccine has been developed by Oxford University and manufactured by Serum Institute of India. "Today marks a huge stride in global health as we welcome the prequalification of R21/Matrix-M, the second malaria vaccine recommended for children in malaria endemic areas. This achievement underscores our relentless commitment to wiping out malaria which remains a formidable foe causing child suffering and death. This is another step toward ensuring a healthier, more resilient future for those who have lived for too long in fear of what malaria could do to their children. Together with our partners we are united in the pursuit of a malaria-free future, where every life is shielded from the threat of this disease," Dr Kate OBrien, Director of WHO's Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals has said. In 2022, a total of 608 000 malaria deaths were recorded globally "Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease, places a particularly high burden on children in the African Region, where nearly half a million children die from the disease each year. Globally, in 2022, there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 malaria deaths across 85 countries," the WHO says. Malaria is a life-threatening infectious disease caused by the Plasmodium parasites transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. There are several species of Plasmodium, with P. falciparum being the most deadly. Once bitten, the parasites enter the bloodstream and travel to the liver, where they mature and multiply before re-entering the bloodstream to infect red blood cells.

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Second malaria vaccine prequalified by WHO: Know what this means - IndiaTimes