A second Malaria jab for children has been approved by World Health Organization (WHO).
The jab was tested in Kenya and in three other African countries and it has now been prequalified for use. It will costa as low as Ksh.300 to Ksh.600 in Kenya.
The drug becomes the world’s second vaccine to be added to the global prequalified list.
The prequalification, according to the global health body, means larger access to vaccines as a key tool to prevent malaria in children.
The recommendation was made after three Phases of trial which enrolled 4,800 children aged five months to three years in four countries across Africa namely; Kenya, Mali, Burkina Faso and Tanzania.
As part of the prequalification process, WHO applies international standards to comprehensively evaluate and determine whether vaccines are safe, effective and manufactured to international standards.
“The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine prequalified by WHO, following the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine which obtained prequalification status in July 2022. Both vaccines are shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials, for preventing malaria in children,” WHO announced.
The availability of two proved Malaria vaccines is of significance to countries like Kenya where Malaria is a killer disease.
By Matildah Obaigwa
Comment here