Malaria vaccine shows promise
Posted Jul 30, 2014 06:00:22 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Experts say we are closer than ever to manufacturing a malaria vaccine.
Over 800,000 people die each year from the virus carried by mosquitoes, but that figure will soon change in 2015 when a new vaccine could be approved for use.
Researchers found for every 1,000 children who received the vaccine, around 800 of the malaria cases could have been prevented with the formula.
The vaccine would prevent contracting malaria for 18 months, and although the effectiveness may wane over time, researchers suggest it may have the largest impact in areas most vulnerable.
The vaccine’s producer, Glaxo-Smith-Kline, has asked the European Medicine Authority to approve it for global use and believes the drug will be a major boost to the traditional methods of bed nets and insecticides.
