Malaria Vaccine Adoption in India: Expert Committee's Recommendation

In a recent Rajya Sabha session, an expert committee conveyed that India doesn't meet the necessary criteria for the adoption of malaria vaccines. These vaccines are primarily meant for regions with moderate to high malaria transmission rates, where there is a significant risk of child mortality.

Minister of State for Health, Anupriya Patel, addressed questions regarding the development of India's first malaria vaccine, R21/Matrix-M. This vaccine has been co-developed by the University of Oxford and the Serum Institute of India, but it has not yet received regulatory approval for use within India.

During her discussion, Minister Patel shared insights from the expert committee's findings, stating that the recommendation not to adopt the vaccine was based on India's specific transmission and risk levels, which do not align with those targeted by the current malaria vaccines.

(With inputs from agencies.)