WHO recommends pilot for new malaria vaccine

The vaccine is being seen as a complementary tool that could be added to the core package of proven malaria preventive, diagnostic and treatment measures

In a significant development, the World Health Organisation’s strategic advisory group of experts on immunisation ( SAGE) has recommended pilot projects on malaria vaccine for young children. The vaccine, known as RTS, S, is the first vaccine for malaria and it requires four doses for a child to be fully protected.

The group met this week with the malaria policy advisory committee to consider the evidence on the efficacy and safety of the malaria vaccine.

“This was a historic meeting with two of WHO’s major advisory committees working together to consider current evidence about this vaccine,” said Professor Fred Binka, acting chair of MPAC. “The committees agreed that pilot implementations should be the next step with this vaccine.” The first three doses of the novel vaccine are given one month apart, followed by an 18month pause before the fourth dose. “The question about how the malaria vaccine may best be delivered still need to be answered,” said Professor Jon S. Abramson, chair of SAGE. “After detailed assessment of all the evidence we recommended that this question is best addressed by having 3- 5 large pilot implementation projects.”

The malaria vaccine, RTS, S, acts against “P. falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally, and is prevalent in India. However, it offers no protection against “P. vivax malaria, which predominates in many countries outside of Africa.

Even as experts recommended pilot projects on the vaccine, they clarified that the vaccine is being assessed as a complementary malaria control tool that could potentially be added to — but not replace — the core package of proven malaria preventive, diagnostic and treatment measures.

In other sessions during the SAGE meeting, held from 20- 22 October, the group reviewed evidence and offered recommendations on the development and use of vaccines against Ebola virus, poliovirus and measles.

Experts recommended withdrawing the oral polio vaccine by April 2016 as crucial part of the polio endgame strategy.