The Facts
On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) authorized a second malaria vaccine to help control the spread of the life-threatening parasitic disease that reportedly kills around 500K children in Africa annually.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the approval was granted following advice from two expert groups that endorsed its use in reducing the risk of the disease in children.
The Spin
Narrative A
This cheaper and more effective malaria vaccine is pushing the world one step closer to a malaria-free future. Many more children will be protected from this life-threatening disease due to this vaccine. This could be a massive breakthrough in providing relief across malaria hot spots.
Narrative B
While this new vaccine is promising, it doesn't prevent transmission of the disease, so it will not be able to stop epidemics. Stopping the spread of malaria is going to require much more than vaccines alone, especially with the spread of invasive mosquito species and the increase in resistance to malaria treatment drugs.
