A new malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, prevented about 75% of malaria cases in young African children in a large trial published in The Lancet. Malaria kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, most of them children in Africa, so an effective vaccine could save many lives.
The phase 3 trial enrolled over 4,800 children in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali, and Tanzania. Children were randomly assigned to the malaria vaccine or a comparison vaccine, and researchers counted malaria cases in each group over a year. The 75% figure applied to children aged 5 to 17 months when doses were timed before the peak malaria season. The vaccine is made by the Serum Institute of India at low cost, and the World Health Organization has recommended it.
There are limits to keep in mind. The headline result covers one year, so longer-term protection is less certain and may need boosters. Results varied by site and by whether doses were timed to the season. Even a strong vaccine leaves some children unprotected, so bed nets and other measures remain part of the plan.