First malaria shot 'works in trial'
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China.org.cn, October 19, 2011
An experimental vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline looks set to become the world's first anti-malarial shot after it halved the risk of African children getting the deadly disease in a major clinical trial, Reuters reported.
![Mwajua Saidi and her son Rashidi play together in Mapinga, Tanzania. Rashidi participated in the RTS,S malaria vaccine trial. [China.org.cn/Melinda Gates Foundation]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20111019/000cf1bdd03f1008bebb4d.jpg "Mwajua Saidi and her son Rashidi play together in Mapinga, Tanzania. Rashidi participated in the RTS,S malaria vaccine trial. [China.org.cn/Melinda Gates Foundation]") |
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Mwajua Saidi and her son Rashidi play together in Mapinga, Tanzania. Rashidi participated in the RTS,S malaria vaccine trial. [Melinda Gates Foundation] |
Final-stage trial data released on Tuesday showed that the experimental vaccine gave protection against clinical and severe malaria in five- to 17-month-olds in Africa.
"These data bring us to the cusp of having the world's first malaria vaccine," said Andrew Witty, chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline.
While hailing an unprecedented achievement, Witty, malaria scientists and global health experts stressed that the vaccine was no quick fix for eradicating malaria.
The new shot is less effective against the disease than other vaccines are against common infections such as polio and measles.
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