R21, the second malaria vaccine approved by WHO
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended R21/Matrix-M for the prevention of malaria in children, two years after first recommending the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine to combat high Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
The WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation (SAGE) and the Malaria Policy Advisory Group (MPAG) provided input for the recommendation, which was made public on October 2, 2023.
Following the normal biannual conference of WHO, which took place from September 25 to September 29, the organization's director-general, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, recommended the new vaccine as a safe and effective means of preventing malaria.
"The updated WHO malaria vaccine recommendation is informed by evidence from an ongoing R21 vaccine clinical trial and other studies," the organisation said in a statement.
The introduction of R21 is anticipated to have a significant influence on public health because the demand for the RTS,S vaccine, the first malaria vaccine to receive approval, already exceeds supply.
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