First malaria vaccine rollout in kids could cut burden

[马拉维利隆威]疟疾的第一个推出vaccinein Malawi could lessen the burden of the disease in children under two years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa, researchers say.

疟疾kills over 250, 000childrenin Africa every year, according to the WHO.

“疫苗是一种互补的干预措施。这意味着它并不是自己完成的。

“但是，与其他干预措施一起将保护儿童免受疟疾的侵害。”

“The Malawi teams will be analysing it on many different levels in order to identify how and in whom it is effective.”

马拉维研究计划Terrie Taylor

Kayange tellsscidev.netthat the vaccine’s efficacy and safety trial began in May 2009 and ended in early 2014.

He says that earlier that smaller trials showed nearly 39 per cent of children five to 17 months old who received the vaccine getting protected frommalaria。

The rollout will see about 120,000 children under two years in Malawi get doses of the vaccine, known as RTS,S, in the next four years.

疫苗训练免疫系统以攻击疟疾寄生虫，该寄生虫通过蚊子叮咬散布，Kayange补充说。

The vaccine trial will be done in four dose schedule: at five, six, seven and 22 months,” explains Kayange. “The trial will take place at selected sites and is designed to generate evidence and experience to inform policymakers on the broader use of the vaccine.”

The country is the first of three in Africa to introduce the vaccine. Ghana and Kenya will in the coming weeks also make available the vaccine to children under two years of age, according to a statement from the WHO published this week (23 April) when the trial began.

Terrie Taylor a professor at US-based Michigan State University and a malaria researcher at Malawi’s Research Programme tellsscidev.netthat the science community globally is looking forward to the results of this large-scale “real world” trial of RTS,S.

“The Malawi teams have been working hard to organise the pilot programme, and will be analysing it on many different levels in order to identify how and in whom it is effective,” Taylor says.

Miriam Laufer, a professor of paediatrics at University of Malawi's College of Medicine, tells SciDev.Net that progress against malaria has stalled for years.

她补充说，即使不是完美的疫苗，也可以加入疫苗，也可能能够将一些最高负担的地区推动，尤其是撒哈拉以南非洲的负担较低的疟疾负担，甚至可以让他们开始考虑消除。

”但同时,决定推进project represents a powerful spirit of collaboration among international partners to develop and implement the研究needed to inform public health decisions,” explains Laufer, who is also the associate director for malaria research at University of Maryland School of Medicine in the United States.

Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa, in the WHO statement, echoed Laufer’s comments, adding that the disease is a constant threat in African communities where “the poorest children suffer the most and are at highest risk of death”.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.