Cameroon was the first in the world to start mass vaccination against malaria

A program for mass vaccination of children against malaria has been launched in Cameroon. Cameroon became the first country in the world to include these vaccinations in the national calendar of the Ministry of Health. The development of malaria vaccines lasted more than 40 years, the first of which was approved by the World Health Organization in 2021, the second in 2023.

Last November, Cameroon received the first 330,000 doses of the vaccine and expects new supplies. Children should receive the first of four doses at the age of six months. A full course of vaccinations consists of four doses, which the child receives before the age of two. It is planned to vaccinate 6.6 million children in the country this and next year.

According to the National Institute of Health of Great Britain, the effectiveness of the vaccine in children is 36%. Doctors warn that vaccinations will be an important step in the fight against malaria, but since they do not provide full protection, residents of tropical countries should not forget about ordinary anti-epidemic measures. In particular, we are talking about the fight against mosquitoes, which are carriers of the disease: the use of mosquito nets and repellents.

In 2024, nine more countries on the African continent intend to start a malaria vaccination program.

• Malaria is a severe tropical infection that causes fever and liver damage. About six million cases of the disease are registered annually in Cameroon. About four thousand of them end in death.
• According to the WHO, every hour in the world about 250 million people get sick with malaria, about 600 thousand of them die. 77% of all malaria victims are children under the age of five. 94% of all cases of disease and 95% of deaths occur in African countries.