It's a bit early to call but it seems that we finally might have an effective vaccine againstmalaria!
Joe Cohen, a GlaxoSmithKline research Scientist told reporters that after 24 years of research and trial they have developed a vaccine that halved the risk of children getting Malaria.
Even though this vaccine won't end malaria on it's own, it's a major step forward in conquering this deadly disease.
Malaria is caused by a parasite carried in the saliva of mosquitoes. It kills more than 780,000 people per year, most of them babies or very young children in Africa.
Cohen's vaccine goes to work when the parasite enters the bloodstream. By stimulating an immune response, it can prevent the parasite from maturing and multiplying in the liver. Without that immune response, the parasite re-enters the bloodstream and infects red blood cells, leading to fever, body aches and, in some cases, death
According to Cohen, if all goes as planned, the new vaccine could be released as soon as 2015. Let's just hope the new vaccine will be afforable for all who need it.
