London: A new malaria vaccine, developed by Oxford scientists, promises to be an efficient antidote for the disease transmitted to humans by Anopheles mosquito.
According to report in the Lancet, trials showed the vaccine — called R21 — proved 80% effective in guarding against malaria.
“Based on these results, this vaccine could have a major impact on the elimination of malaria from affected regions of the world… This is a really remarkable achievement,’ said Neil Mabbott, an immunopathology professor at University of Edinburgh.
The scientists who conducted the trial stated that the vaccine could be produced and distributed as early as 2023.
Serum Institute of India has already pledged to produce 100 million doses of the R21 vaccine, which is said to be cheap to make, per year.
The efficacy rate of the only malaria vaccine which is being used in Africa is around 40%. Produced by GSK, it started being widely distributed from last year only.
The Oxford vaccine may prove much more efficient at fighting malaria than the previous one.
Malaria is still a major killer, with about 600,000 deaths annually — most of them being babies and children, while Africa is the most affected continent as it accounts for 95% of the 200 million cases diagnosed per year.
