WHO recommends R21/Matrix-M vaccine for malaria prevention in updated advice on immunization

The R21 and RTS,S vaccines act against P. falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite and the most prevalent on the African continent. The updated WHO recommendation for malaria vaccines was informed by the results of the WHO-coordinated Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme, through which nearly 2 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been reached with the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine since 2019. The pilot introduction of the first malaria vaccine has resulted in a substantial impact in reducing severe malaria illness, hospitalizations and child deaths.