R21/Matrix-M Vaccine:
Vaccines manufacturer Serum Institute of India (SII) recently said it has started exports of ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine to Africa as part of the global fight against the disease.
- R21/Matrix-M Vaccine is a new vaccine approved for the prevention of malaria in children.
- It is the second malaria vaccine recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO),following the RTS, S/AS01 vaccine, which received a WHO recommendation in 2021.
- The vaccine was developed by the Jenner Institute at Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India with support from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (‘EDCTP’), the Welcome Trust and the European Investment Bank (‘EIB’).
- This low-cost, high-efficacy vaccine is already licensed by several African countries.
