- WHO prequalified a second malaria vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) added the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine to its list of prequalified vaccines for malaria.
- This vaccine has been developed by Oxford University and manufactured by Serum Institute of India.
- In October 2023, the WHO recommended its use for the prevention of malaria in children.
- The R21 vaccine is the second malaria vaccine to be prequalified by WHO.
- As part of the prequalification process, WHO applies international standards and determines the safety, effectiveness, and standard of vaccines.
Malaria
- It is spread by the bite of an infected female anopheles mosquito. Infected mosquitoes spread the Plasmodium parasite.
- It is a preventable and treatable infectious disease.
- In 1897, Sir Ronald Ross found that malaria among humans is spread by female mosquitoes.