WHO Approves 2nd Malaria Vaccine to Address ‘Unprecedented’ Demand

The new vaccine will be rolled out in some African countries in early 2024, and will be available in mid-2024 in other countries.

A sign outside World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva on Aug. 17, 2020. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Oct. 2 recommended a new malaria vaccine named the R21/Matrix-M in a bid to increase supply amid the “unprecedented” demand for malaria vaccines.

The R21/Matrix-M, developed by Britain’s University of Oxford, is the second malaria vaccine recommended by WHO following the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine (also known as Mosquirix), which the agency endorsed in 2021.