Oxford-Serum R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine

A historic step in the fight against malaria, with the highly anticipated roll-out of the new Oxford-Serum R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine.

Freuds+ has been working closely with Gavi Alliance, Oxford University and Novavax on behalf of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, Serum Institute of India on the landmark announcement, with the first child vaccinated in Côte d’Ivoire.

Malaria kills nearly half a million children under five each year – one every minute. After more than a century of relentless scientific efforts, the highly effective, low-dose Oxford-Serum R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine has started to roll out across Africa. The new malaria vaccine can be manufactured at speed and scale, critical to stemming the spread of disease, as well as protecting the vaccinated. Combined with bed nets and other methods, the roll out of the R21 vaccine is a significant Global Health milestone that will save many lives.

In anticipation of the roll-out of the new R21/Matrix-M™malaria vaccine, the Serum Institute of India manufactured 25 million doses of the vaccine and is committed to scaling up to 100 million doses annually. As part of our ongoing work with the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer we were thrilled to share that the first vaccination took place in the Ivory Coast with 15 African countries expected to introduce malaria vaccines with Gavi Alliance support in 2024, and countries plan to reach around 6.6 million children with the malaria vaccine in 2024 and 2025. This milestone moment marks the start of a new era of malaria prevention and brings us one step closer to a malaria free world.