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Serum’s Malaria Vaccine Gains Approval in Ghana and Nigeria

Public Health & Prevention, Public health and Preventive Medicine , Public Health

Serum’s Malaria Vaccine Gains Approval in Ghana and Nigeria

Serum Institute of India is discussing the fill-finishing of Oxford University's R21 malaria vaccine approved by Ghana and Nigeria. However, the final-stage trial data is yet to be released, not to mention the vaccine awaits approval by the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The company has arranged to manufacture the vaccine locally by collaborating with a Ghanaian company – DEK Vaccines.

Malaria accounts for over 600,000 global deaths annually; African infants and children comprise most individuals affected. According to the vaccines introduction officer at WHO, Ghanaian and Nigerian regulators have approved the vaccine only after reviewing data which were available to them. 

Malarial vaccines are long-due; the delay in developing such a vaccine is attributed to the complicated malarial parasitic structure and lifecycle. The Oxford malarial vaccine is the second malarial vaccine queued for approval recently. The Serum Institute of India and Oxford agreed upon an annual turn-out of 200 million vaccine doses.