R21 Vaccine

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About R21 vaccine:

It is the first vaccine to achieve more than 75% effectiveness. (The goal set by the World Health Organisation).
It has been approved for use in children aged 5-36 months, the age group at highest risk of death from malaria.
Ghana became the first African country which gave approval for the vaccine.
Matrix-M, a saponin-based adjuvant developed by Novavax, is used in the vaccine to stimulate a stronger and longer-lasting immune response.
Antigen presentation in regional lymph nodes is improved by the Matrix-M adjuvant, which also encourages the entrance of antigen-presenting cells at the injection site.

Key facts about Malaria

Malaria is an acute febrile illness caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are spread to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes.
It is not contagious and cannot spread from one person to another
There are many different types of plasmodium parasite, but only 5 types cause malaria in humans.
- Plasmodium falciparum: Mainly found in Africa, it’s the most common type of malaria parasite and is responsible for most malaria deaths worldwide.
- Plasmodium vivax: Mainly found in Asia and South America, this parasite causes milder symptoms than Plasmodium falciparum, but it can stay in the liver for up to 3 years, which can result in relapses.
- Plasmodium ovale: Fairly uncommon and usually found in West Africa, it can remain in your liver for several years without producing symptoms.
- Plasmodium malariae: This is quite rare and usually only found in Africa.
- Plasmodium knowlesi: This is very rare and found in parts of Southeast Asia.

Q1) What are Plasmodium parasites?

Plasmodium parasites are a group of single-celled organisms that cause malaria, a serious and sometimes fatal disease that affects humans and other animals. There are over 200 species of Plasmodium parasites, but only a few species are known to cause malaria in humans.

Source: Ghana first to approve Oxford’s malaria vaccine for children