Phase 3 trial with the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine shows protection against clinical and severe malaria in infants and children in Africa

Commentary on : RTS,S Clinical Trials Partnership. Efficacy and safety of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine during 18 months after vaccination: a phase 3 randomized, controlled trial in children and young infants at 11 African sites. PLoS Med 2014;11:e1001685.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] There is currently no licensed malaria vaccine. Protection against malaria is dependent on use of insecticide-treated nets, other vector control measures and drug treatment. These have reduced the burden of disease over the past decade, but it remains unacceptably high.1 Malaria transmission is heterogeneous and there are particular challenges presented by hotspots of transmission and by reservoirs of asymptomatic infections that serve to maintain transmission. In addition, there are growing concerns about the spread of drug resistance, and of insecticide resistance that can reduce the benefits of treated bednets or spraying.2 ,3 … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DPLoS%2BMed%26rft.volume%253D11%26rft.spage%253De1001685%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1371%252Fjournal.pmed.1001685%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F25072396%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001685&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=25072396&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F20%2F1%2F9.atom