Inside STAT: A malaria vaccine faces a pivotal test

A CHILD WITH MALARIA SLEEPS UNDER A MOSQUITO NET IN A HOSPITAL IN WESTERN KENYA. (KAREL PRINSLOO/AP)

The world’s first vaccine that offers partial protection against malaria is facing a prime-time test. Starting this month, the vaccine — called RTS,S — will be rolled out in Ghana’s immunization program for children, with Malawi and Kenya to follow. RTS,S, which is made by GSK, cut infections by about 40 percent in a Phase 3 trial, but it has not been deployed widely in the field. Experts will be looking to see if it’s feasible to give the four-dose vaccine in resource-limited and rural areas, and what impact the vaccine has on the burden of malaria, which is caused by a parasite spread through the bite of Anopheles mosquitoes. Progress against malaria has slowed in recent years, with the infection still causing about 445,000 deaths each year. STAT's Helen Branswell has the story here.