CIDRAP News: World’s first malaria vaccine program launches in Malawi
“Given that malaria is one of the world’s leading killers, especially of African children, [Tuesday’s] launch of a pilot program to immunize babies in Malawi with the RTS,S vaccine offers global health officials and scientists a chance to see if it can jump-start stalled progress in the battle against the disease…” (Schnirring, 4/23).

The Guardian: Malawi starts landmark pilot of first ever child malaria vaccine
“…Although the vaccine protects only a third of children aged under two years from life-threatening or severe malaria, clinical trials have found those who are immunized are likely to have less severe cases of the disease. Earlier, smaller trials also showed the vaccine prevented four in 10 cases of malaria overall, in babies aged between five and 17 months…” (McVeigh, 4/23).

NPR: World’s First Malaria Vaccine Launches In Sub-Saharan Africa
“…On Tuesday, toddlers in Malawi started receiving the immunization. Then children in Ghana and Kenya will follow shortly. The goal is to vaccinate about 360,000 children in this large-scale pilot project…” (Doucleff, 4/23).

U.N. News: New malaria vaccine trial in Malawi marks ‘an innovation milestone,’ declares U.N. health agency
“…The pilot program is a collaboration between the U.N. and ministries of health in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi and a range of other national and international partners, including PATH, a non-profit organization, and GSK, the vaccine developer and manufacturer, which is donating up to 10 million doses for this pilot…” (4/23).

Additional coverage of the malaria vaccine pilot program is available from CNN, Healio, The Hill, HuffPost, and International Business Times.