A major milestone amid Covid gloom first malaria vaccine
The recombinant protein vaccine, known as Mosquirix, was found to prevent 39 percent of malaria cases
In October, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised that children in Sub-Saharan Africa and other places with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission receive the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine. The recombinant protein vaccine, known as Mosquirix, was found to prevent 39% of instances of malaria, 29% of cases of severe malaria, and to reduce overall hospital admissions.
According to the WHO's World Malaria Report 2021, there were around 241 million malaria cases worldwide in 2020, with six countries accounting for about 55% of all cases: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Mozambique, Angola, and Burkina Faso.
The WHO South-East Asia Region bore around 2% of the burden, with India accounting for 83% of the cases in the region. Despite the high burden, the WHO reports that India has seen a significant drop in malaria incidence and deaths.
According to the WHO's World Malaria Report 2021, there were around 241 million malaria cases worldwide in 2020, with six countries accounting for about 55% of all cases: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Mozambique, Angola, and Burkina Faso.
The WHO South-East Asia Region bore around 2% of the burden, with India accounting for 83% of the cases in the region. Despite the high burden, the WHO reports that India has seen a significant drop in malaria incidence and deaths.
Infection and vaccination
When a female Anopheles mosquito bites a person, Plasmodium parasites are injected into our system. The parasite enters the liver swiftly as sporozoites and multiplies into merozoites over the course of 7 to 10 days. They are released from liver cells, and once in the bloodstream, they infect red blood cells, resulting in fever and other symptoms.
Two parasite protein components were expressed in genetically altered Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells and combined with an adjuvant to create the novel vaccine. An adjuvant aids in the development of a greater immunological response.
What made the development of a malaria vaccine so difficult?
The US CDC explains: "The development of a malaria vaccine has faced several obstacles: the lack of a traditional market, few developers, and the technical complexity of developing any vaccine against a parasite. Malaria parasites have a complex life cycle, and there is a poor understanding of the complex immune response to malaria infection. Malaria parasites are also genetically complex, producing thousands of potential antigens."
It goes on to say that, unlike many other diseases for which vaccinations are available, exposure to malaria parasites does not provide permanent protection. People can still become infected with the parasite because acquired immunity only protects them somewhat. The illness can sometimes go months without causing any symptoms.
The success of the new RTS,S vaccine, according to a recent editorial in The Lancet, is the result of generations of scientific genius, three decades of research and development, and close collaboration within African communities.
