Malaria
The complexity of the malaria parasite makes development of a malaria vaccine a very difficult task. Given this, there is currently no commercially available malaria vaccine, despite many decades of intense research and development effort.
The most advanced vaccine candidate against the most deadly form of human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, is RTS,S/AS01. A phase 3 trial began in May 2009 and has completed enrollment with 15 460 children in the following seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and the United Republic of Tanzania. There are two groups in the trial: 1) children aged 5-17 months at first dose receiving only the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine; and 2) children aged 6-12 weeks at first dose who receive the same malaria vaccine in co-administration with pentavalent vaccines in the routine immunization schedule. Both groups receive 3 doses of RTS,S/AS01 vaccine at 1 month intervals.
According to the current trial schedule, the phase 3 trial data required in order for WHO to consider making a policy recommendation is expected to become available to WHO in late 2014.
Further information on malaria vaccine research
- New Results from RTS,S/AS01 Malaria Vaccine Trial (9 Nov 2012)
-
Questions and Answers on Malaria Vaccines
pdf, 134kb - Status of malaria vaccine research projects
- Malaria vaccinology
- WHO technical expert group on malaria vaccines
- MALVAC 2010: measures of efficacy for transmission-reducing interventions
- Vaccine research meetings including access to presentations
- Malaria Vaccine Funders Group
- Global Malaria Programme
- Additional WHO material on malaria
Last updated: 9 November 2012