NAIROBI, Kenya, November 25 – Scientists at the KEMRI–Wellcome Trust Research Programme are conducting a critical Phase III trial of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine in Kilifi County, marking a major step toward a long-term solution against a disease that kills thousands of Kenyans each year.
The trial—which was designed to determine how well the vaccine protects young children over time—comes as malaria continues to infect 263 million people and claim 597,000 lives globally, with Kenya reporting 3.5 million cases and about 10,700 deaths annually.
The study targeted 600 children aged 5 to 36 months in high-transmission zones of Pingilikani, Junju, and Chasimba, where researchers are assessing safety, immune response, and durability of protection following earlier successful trials in Burkina Faso and Kenya.
“Interventions targeting the vector remain the cornerstone of malaria control and are responsible for the estimated 81 percent reduction in disease burden seen in Africa between 2000 and 2015,” said Isaac Ringera, the Trial Project Manager, who added that the current extended trial aims to deeply scrutinize long-term safety and efficacy.
With increasing resistance to insecticides and malaria drugs complicating control efforts, the vaccine—developed by the University of Oxford and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India—could become Kenya’s second approved malaria vaccine after RTS,S.
If it meets regulatory thresholds, researchers say its lower production cost and strong community support could make it a game-changer in malaria-endemic regions.
