Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, has made the following statement regarding results from the RTS,S/AS01 Malaria Vaccine Trial:
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention welcomes the announcement today that results from the clinical trial in Africa of a malaria vaccine candidate show it prevented about half of malaria cases, including the most severe, in young children.
The RTS,S/AS01 study results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, are a promising advance in development of a malaria vaccine for African children, which, if successful, could save hundreds of thousands of lives. In 2009, malaria caused the deaths of nearly 800,000 people; approximately 90 percent were children in Africa.
Children ages 5-17 months were enrolled in the trial at 11 sites in seven African countries. The children who received the vaccine had approximately half the number of clinical and severe malaria cases than children in the comparison group, which received other vaccines, either rabies or meningococcal. CDC, in collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute, led the trial at one site in western Kenya.
Still to come are analyses of how well the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine works in young infants (aged 6-12 weeks) when provided with their routine childhood immunizations, and how long the vaccine is protective. Those data, expected in 2012 and 2014, respectively, will be critical to understanding how the vaccine may be used to control malaria.
Its important to note that the vaccine provided this protection in settings where there is ongoing use of other effective malaria prevention and treatment interventions: bed nets, antimalarial drugs, indoor residual insecticide spraying to prevent mosquito-borne transmission, and drugs to protect pregnant women and their fetuses from malarias adverse effects. Thanks to sharp increases in global funding for malaria during the past decade, many African countries have been able to scale up the distribution and use of these safe, effective, and affordable life-saving interventions. As a result, many countries have seen decreases of up to 50 percent in deaths of children younger than 5 years (PMI Fifth Annual Report, April 2011).
The Roll Back Malaria Partnership, which includes CDC, is working to achieve near zero preventable malaria deaths. These promising vaccine trial results add to the hope that adding an effective vaccine to current malaria interventions will move us closer to that goal."
Weekly Rounds: Four Years of COVID-19, AORN 2024 Conference Coverage, and More
March 18th 2024Here are 5 highlights from Infection Control Today®'s (ICT®’s) wide-ranging coverage of the infection prevention and control world. Everything from interviews with known opinion leaders to the news that infection preventionists and other health care professionals can use on their jobs.
Four Years After COVID-19: What Has the Infection Prevention Community Learned?
March 15th 2024Four years ago today, March 15, 2020, the COVID-19 lockdown began, and since then, the world has undergone significant changes. It has been a terrifying experience for everyone, especially for the infection prevention community, both within and outside of the health care sector. However, a crucial question remains unanswered: What has the infection prevention community learned from this pandemic, and where does it go from here?
Could Empathy Help Overcome Vaccine Hesitancy?
March 14th 2024Research findings reveal that correcting misinformation about vaccination can remarkably transform individuals' attitudes toward it. This highlights the crucial role of accurate information in making informed decisions about vaccination.
Empowering Safety: A Massachusetts General Hospital Team Is Pushing for Smoke-Free ORs
March 13th 2024At the AORN’s International Surgical Conference & Expo 2024, a team from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) showcased their transformative project, "Becoming Smoke-Free in the OR." This initiative underscored the critical need for smoke evacuation in surgical settings.
Hand Hygiene Practices in the Operating Room: A Collaborative Endeavor
March 13th 2024As explained on a poster at AORN 2024, perioperative nurses and infection preventionists unite in a proactive campaign to elevate hand hygiene within the operating room, resulting in improved adherence, decreased infections, and fortified patient outcomes.