Nigeria Starts Malaria Vaccination Campaign

The AP (12/12, Asadu, Ikpoyi) reports a malaria “vaccination campaign kicked off last week” in Nigeria with the goal of preventing “severe illnesses and deaths from the mosquito-borne disease.” According to the AP, “Africa accounts for the vast majority of malaria in the world,” and “Nigeria, the continent’s most populous country, has the biggest burden with about a quarter of the cases.” Nigeria is “offering a vaccine developed by Oxford University.” Research found that “it is more than 75% effective at preventing severe disease and death in the first year and that protection is extended for at least another year with a booster.” The country’s “health minister, Muhammad Ali Pate, called the vaccination campaign a ‘monumental step’ in the country’s efforts to eliminate malaria.”