College Hospital
(UCH), Ibadan, has said that the first malaria vaccine undergoing clinical
trial is a major breakthrough in the ‘roll-back malaria’ programme.
The vaccine —
RTS,S with trade name Mosquirix™ — is the
first vaccine to show a protective effect against malaria among children
in Phase 3 clinical trials.
RTS,S is an
injectable vaccine that provides partial protection against malaria in children
and it is the outcome of a long-standing collaboration between PATH and GSK
which began in 2001.
Falade told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on
Thursday in Ibadan that the vaccine was a “reduction intervention but not a
preventive measure”.
According to
her, there should be massive sensitisation of the public to eliminate some
misconceptions that may arise from the innovation.
“The malaria
vaccine reduces prevalence, morbidity and mortality from malaria attacks; the
concern is that people take three antigens and then take the vaccines.
“The vaccines
only reduce the risks of malaria by 35 per cent; it does not prevent malaria
like other vaccines that babies take at birth for prevention of communicable
diseases.’
“The masses in
Nigeria, particularly at the grassroots need to be properly informed about
this. Otherwise, Nigerians will read another meaning into the efforts of
government and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Nigerians
find faults easily in government policies and efforts geared towards their
welfare.
“They should
be informed by healthcare givers, community centres, the media and all
stakeholders that what the vaccine does is to reduce the attack of malaria and
not to totally prevent it,” she stressed.
Falade
described the research finding as a breakthrough in fighting the scourge of
malaria in the sub-region.
“In spite of
many decades of intense research and development efforts, there is no
commercially available malaria vaccine at present.
“RTS, S/AS01
is the most advanced vaccine against the most deadly form of human malaria
–Plasmodium falciparum.
“More than 20
other vaccine constructs are currently being evaluated in clinical trials or
are at an advanced pre-clinical development.
“In July 2015,
the European Medicines Agency issued a positive scientific opinion on the
vaccine’s risk-benefit balance.
“In October
2015, two independent WHO advisory groups recommended the pilot implementation
of RTS, S/ASO1 in parts of three to five sub-Saharan African countries.”
“WHO has
adopted these recommendations and is strongly supportive of the need to proceed
with the pilots as the next step for the world’s first malaria vaccine.
“RTS, S/AS01
is being assessed as a complementary malaria control tool that could
potentially be added to and not replace
the core package of proven malaria preventive, diagnostic and treatment
measures,” Falade said.
WHO Regional
Office for Africa had on April 24 announced that Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi will
take part in a WHO-coordinated malaria vaccine implementation programme.
According to
Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, the prospect of a
malaria vaccine is great and the information gathered from the pilot programme
will facilitate decisions about the wider use of the vaccine.
She hoped that
with the existing malaria interventions, the vaccine would have the potential
to save tens of thousands of lives in Africa.
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