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[00:00.04]The World Health Organization (WHO) announced the next step
[00:05.40]in its release of the world's first approved malaria vaccine.
[00:10.20]The release is expected to take place
[00:13.04]in three African countries: Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
[00:19.20]But the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation,
[00:22.16]a vaccine supporter, has said it has concerns.
[00:27.52]WHO said last fall the vaccine was a "historic" development
[00:32.80]in efforts to control malaria.
[00:35.24]But the Gates Foundation told The Associated Press this week
[00:39.96]that it will no longer financially support the vaccine.
[00:44.68]Some scientists warn the decision could leave
[00:47.68]millions of African children at risk.
[00:50.68]It could also weaken future efforts
[00:53.64]to solve difficult problems in public health.
[00:57.80]The vaccine is called Mosquirix
[01:00.48]and is sold by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).
[01:04.88]It is about 30 percent effective and requires four doses.
[01:11.32]The malaria vaccine has "a much lower efficacy
[01:14.76]than we would like," said Philip Welkhoff.
[01:18.08]He is the Gates Foundation's director of malaria programs.
[01:23.08]The foundation is ending its support
[01:26.04]after spending more than $200 million
[01:29.44]and working more than 20 years to get the vaccine.
[01:33.80]Welkhoff also said the vaccine is too costly
[01:37.44]and difficult to provide.
[01:40.76]Welkhoff said the foundation's money
[01:43.52]would be better spent on other malaria vaccines and treatments.
[01:47.76]Some of the resources that might have gone
[01:50.92]into providing the vaccine to countries
[01:53.56]have been redirected to buy new mosquito nets.
[01:58.12]Alister Craig is with the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
[02:03.40]"It's not the greatest vaccine in the world,
[02:06.36]but there are ways of using it that could have a big impact," he said.
[02:12.24]The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic hurt efforts to stop malaria.
[02:18.44]Malaria killed more than 620,000 people in 2020
[02:23.08]and caused 241 million cases,
[02:26.48]mainly in children under five in Africa, Craig said.
[02:32.00]"There could be another vaccine approved in about five years,
[02:35.88]but that's a lot of lives lost if we wait until then," Craig said.
[02:42.12]There is another vaccine currently being developed
[02:45.16]by Oxford University.
[02:47.32]BioNTech, creator of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine,
[02:51.92]also plans to use the messenger RNA technology
[02:55.96]it used for the coronavirus for a malaria shot.
[03:00.00]But that project has just begun.
[03:04.52]Another big problem is production.
[03:07.32]GSK said it can only produce about
[03:10.84]15 million injections per year until 2028.
[03:16.12]WHO estimates that to protect the 25 million children
[03:20.76]born in Africa every year,
[03:22.92]at least 100 million doses every year might be needed.
[03:28.20]"All the money in the world" would not help the vaccine's
[03:31.60]short-term supply problems, said Welkhoff.
[03:35.68]He noted that the Gates Foundation
[03:38.40]continues to support the Gavi vaccine alliance.
[03:42.12]Gavi said it is spending nearly $156 million
[03:46.60]to make the vaccine available in the three African countries.
[03:52.08]The vaccine, even with its problems,
[03:54.72]is still greatly desired in Malawi.
[03:59.12]Nolia Zidana said she hopes to get her two young sons
[04:03.56]the shot after seeing malaria sicken them several times
[04:07.44]— and surviving it herself.
[04:11.20]"Growing up with my parents and siblings,
[04:14.08]we have been sick from malaria all the time," she said.
[04:18.60]Dr. Michael Kayange is with Malawi's Ministry of Health.
[04:23.92]He urged everyone in the country
[04:26.44]to take whatever measures they can to stop malaria.
[04:30.40]Immunization itself is unable to stop the disease
[04:35.00]and people should take many measures, he said.
[04:39.56]"Even just by sleeping under a mosquito net,
[04:42.68]you have played your role
[04:44.28]in reducing the malaria burden in the country," he said.
[04:48.84]I'm Dan Novak.
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Words in This Story
efficacy — n. the power to produce a desired result or effect
impact –n. a notable result or effect |
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