4 Things to Know about the 1st Ever malaria Vaccine just Approved by WHO after 30 Years of Research
The fight against the deadly malaria disease has taken a positive dimension as the World Health Organization recently announced the approval of the first-ever vaccine.
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The newly endorsed malaria vaccine is a product of 30 years of dedicated research and is set to come in handy in the war against the disease that claimed 409,000 deaths in 2019 alone with 229 million cases same period.
YEN.com.gh highlights 4 important things to take into account as regards the new vaccine.
1. Its name and target users
The name of the new first-ever malaria endorsed for use by WHO is called RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine.
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According to the apex health organization, it is to be administered on children in Sub-Saharan Africa and other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission, WHO official website indicates.
2. Its dosage
It is recommended that the vaccine is to be given in schedule of four doses to children from five months of age to ensure a reduction in the disease burden on its hosts.
WHO reports that the vaccine has presented impressive results in areas it has been administered so far with 30% reduction deadly severe malaria.
It has also been effective in regions where people have insecticide-treated nets as well as good access to diagnosis and treatment.
3. Target areas for administration
WHO confirms that the vaccines have been administered in 3 African countries already.
It is said that the pilot programme will continue in countries as Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi in order to ascertain its long-term impacts on child deaths.
4. Number of doses administered so far
New York Times indicates that so far more than 800, 000 children have received the vaccine in the affected regions and over 2.3 million doses have been administered.
It is expected that the numbers go up as the administration of the vaccines intensifies.
FG to announce compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for all federal workers
Meanwhile, Nigeria's leading news website, Legit.ng, previously reported that the federal government is set to announce a compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for federal workers.
Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, made this known during the meeting of the health commissioners forum with federal ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and health partners in Abuja.
He explained that the mandatory vaccination had become imperative due to the role federal civil servants perform not just within the country but also on behalf of the government.
While noting that other countries have started insisting on compulsory COVID-19 vaccination, Mustapha said the government can't institute the mandatory jab immediately because the country did not have sufficient vaccines at the moment.
Source: YEN.com.gh
Ebenezer Agbey Quist (HOD Human-Interest) Ebenezer Agbey Quist is the Head of the Human Interest Desk at YEN.com.gh. He has a BSc in Chemical Engineering from KNUST (2017) with 8 years of experience as a writer and 3 years as an editor. He has certificates in AFP courses on digital investigation techniques. At YEN.com.gh, Ebenezer has won the Outstanding Achievement for Professional Conduct Award and the Best Human Interest Editor Award. He is also the author of 3 books. You can contact him via ebenezer.quist@yen.com.gh.
Aba Afful (Copyeditor) Maame Aba serves as a copy editor at YEN.com.gh. She naturally enjoys working with words and has an eye for quality content. She has a keen interest in cyberspace and wants to see YEN.com.gh produce more impactful, thought-provoking, and error-free content. Aba has five years of experience as a content writer, blogger, author, and proofreader. She graduated from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2017. She joined the team in 2021.
