New malaria vaccine gets the go-ahead - world first.

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Fri Jul 24, 2015 5:42 pm

Wow, a vaccine for malaria; this could be huge, a way to deal with the increasing amount of drug-resistance. Not sure if it is universal vaccine though. That would be ace.
(Apparently they have been working on this, so it's possible. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270654.php)

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 12432.html

The world’s first malaria vaccine has been recommended for use in Africa, bringing scientists a step closer to preventing hundreds of thousands of deaths each year.

It is hoped that the Mosquiriz jab, developed by GlaxoSmithKline and the Melinda Gates Foundation, will help stem the half a million malaria deaths every year.

More than 198 million people in sub-Saharans Africa were affected by the disease in 2013 alone and 80 per cent of those that die are children under five.

Although the vaccine, which will hopefully provide protection to thousands for as little as $5 each, has been approved by the European Medicines Agency it now needs the approval of health officials in the African region.

The World Health Organisation still needs to assess whether to recommend the use of the drug for children....

potty · Post by **potty** » Tue Jul 28, 2015 11:48 pm

its no immunity, its only inhibition of the infection spreading. I understand.
how difficult is it, to target an invading organism in the body?
or better, why is it?

Anchor Moy · Post by **Anchor Moy** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 12:41 am

potty wrote:its no immunity, its only inhibition of the infection spreading. I understand.
how difficult is it, to target an invading organism in the body?
or better, why is it?

Yeah, it's a bit confusing. But I think the thing is that once you're bitten by a malarial mosquito, the vaccine will prevent the malaria in your system from making you sick. You will test positive for malaria, but the parasite will be blocked and thus prevented from attacking the liver, rendering it harmless.
You will still be infected by malaria when you get bitten, but it will no longer make you sick and die. So, as you say, it doesn't actually prevent malaria; but if it stops people from getting sick, that's a fantastic breakthrough IMO.

I'm no expert, but this is what I understand from what I've read.

In July 2015 the EMA approved the vaccine with the recommendation that it should be used in Africa in babies at risk of getting malaria and RTS,S thus became the world's first malaria vaccine to get this approval

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTS,S

Any input from someone who knows about these things would be welcome.

Post by **Jamie_Lambo** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 1:24 am

hope it saves lives in africa, malaria is a big killer!

vladimir · Post by **vladimir** » Wed Jul 29, 2015 6:24 am

Guinea pigs.