Mozambique today began a malaria vaccination campaign, starting with Zambézia province. This initiative by the Ministry of Health (MISAU) aims to protect children aged between 6 and 11 months, in response to the high number of cases and deaths recorded in this age group.
The vaccine will be given in four doses: the first at 6 months, the second at 7 months, the third at 9 months, and the fourth dose at 18 months. For children who start vaccination after 6 months, the subsequent doses will be adjusted with specific intervals. The vaccine used, R21/Matrix-M, developed by the University of Oxford, is the second of its kind approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) to combat childhood malaria.
This campaign comes against a background of a significant reduction in malaria cases and deaths in Mozambique in recent months, which underlines the positive impact of the preventive measures adopted. However, MISAU warns that the vaccine does not replace other malaria prevention measures and urges the public to maintain additional preventive practices.
The campaign represents an initial investment of 381,229 dollars, funded by the Government of Mozambique in collaboration with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and other international partners. The expansion of vaccination to other regions of the country is planned for next year, depending on the availability of the vaccine on the market.