Cameroon is set to make history as the first country to implement a routine vaccination program for children, introducing a new malaria vaccine in the ongoing battle against the mosquito-borne disease.
The campaign, scheduled to commence on Monday, is hailed as a pivotal moment in the longstanding global effort to combat malaria, a disease responsible for 95% of worldwide malaria-related deaths.
Aurelia Nguyen, Chief Program Officer at the Gavi vaccines alliance, which is assisting Cameroon in securing the shots, emphasized the significance of this initiative, stating, “The vaccination will save lives. It will provide major relief to families and the country’s health system.”
The Central African nation aims to vaccinate approximately 250,000 children this year and the next. Gavi is actively collaborating with 20 other African countries to facilitate vaccine access, with a goal to immunize over 6 million children by 2025.
In Africa alone, there are approximately 250 million cases of malaria each year, leading to 600,000 deaths, predominantly among young children.
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Cameroon has chosen to administer the first of two recently approved malaria vaccines, known as Mosquirix. The World Health Organization endorsed Mosquirix two years ago, recognizing its imperfections but acknowledging its potential to significantly reduce severe infections and hospitalizations.
Produced by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Mosquirix exhibits about 30% effectiveness, necessitates four doses, and provides protection that diminishes after several months. While GSK can only produce around 15 million doses annually, experts consider a second malaria vaccine developed by Oxford University and WHO-approved in October as a potentially more practical solution. The Oxford vaccine, cheaper and requiring three doses, holds promise, with the Serum Institute of India expressing the capability to manufacture up to 200 million doses annually.
Aurelia Nguyen from Gavi expressed optimism about the availability of the Oxford vaccine later this year, supplementing the fight against malaria. It’s important to note that neither of the malaria vaccines halts transmission, emphasizing the continued importance of additional measures like bed nets and insecticidal spraying.
Malaria, transmitted through infected mosquitoes, manifests symptoms such as fever, headaches, and chills. This groundbreaking vaccination program is a beacon of hope in the quest to alleviate the burden of malaria in Africa.
