The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a second malaria vaccine for children. The vaccine is expected to rollout in the first quarter of 2024.
The WHO’s recommendation of the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, developed by Britain’s Oxford University could offer countries a cheaper and more readily available option than the world’s first shot against the mosquito borne disease.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency was approving the new malaria vaccine based on the advice of two expert groups, recommending its use in children at risk of the disease, Al Jazeera reports.
This new vaccine is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and has already been approved for use in Burkina Faso, Ghana and Nigeria.
The vaccine will be rolled out in those African countries in early 2024 and will be available in mid-2024 in other countries.
