Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria has taken a significant step in its fight against malaria with the launch of a new vaccine. The R21 vaccine, developed by scientists at Oxford University and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and Novavax, will be administered to recipients free of charge.
The country is one of the first in the world to adopt the new vaccine, which received provisional approval from Nigeria’s medicines regulator in April 2023. Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate announced that Nigeria has secured 846,200 doses of the vaccine through a partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and UNICEF. An additional 153,800 doses are expected to arrive on October 26, bringing the total to one million.
Minister Pate urged Nigerians to take advantage of the limited vaccine supply and have their children vaccinated. The rollout will begin in two pilot states, Kebbi and Bayelsa, before expanding nationwide.
Malaria remains a major public health threat, claiming the lives of over 600,000 people each year, the majority of whom are African children. Nigeria, with 31% of global malaria deaths, bears a disproportionate burden of the disease.
