LONDON - Two malaria vaccines will be introduced across Africa this year.
The RTS,S and R21 vaccines will be offered to young children, who suffer most acutely from the disease.
Developed by Oxford University, the R21 vaccination is the result of 30 years of research at the university, Adrian Hill, director of its Jenner Institute and chief investigator for the vaccine told The Conversation.
Malaria is caused by a parasite, rather than a virus or bacterium, meaning that perfecting treatment of it has dogged researchers for years: The “malaria parasite goes through four life cycle stages,” making it “as complex as it gets with infectious pathogens,” Hill said.
As we reported last week, one innovative approach involves altering the genetic makeup of mosquitoes.
