OT: Looks like we finally have an effective vaccine for malaria...

[RU848789]

Thought this was worth a thread. Incredible breakthrough by researchers at Oxford in the UK, the KEMRI Wellcome Trust in Kenya, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Novavax, the Serum Institute of India, and the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante in Nanoro, Burkina Faso (which has a very high malaria burden). The vaccine was shown to be about 77% effective in preventing malaria infections in infants and toddlers in a medium sized phase III trial in Burkina Faso, which is far more effective than an earlier vaccine. A larger phase III trial begins shortly.

The vaccine utilizes a protein antigen that mimics the protein from the parasite (transmitted by mosquitos) that causes malaria to "trigger" the immune system to be ready to fight the parasite; it also uses the exact same adjuvant (a chemical known to enhance vaccine activity) from Novavax used in their COVID vaccine. Derek Lowe has an excellent blog entry on the new vaccine, including the detailed science involved in the production of the vaccine and how it works, linked below.

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2021/04/23/great-malaria-vaccine-news

I knew the malaria problem was big, but I had no idea just how big until I just looked it up. As per the World Malaria Report, "there were 229 million cases of malaria in 2019 compared to 228 million cases in 2018. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 409 000 in 2019, compared with 411 000 deaths in 2018." Most of these cases are in children. If this can prevent the vast majority of infections and also decrease the severity of infections, it will be an accomplishment on the order of the COVID vaccines, especially given how long malaria has been such a terrible plague.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-...:~:text=Disease burden,411 000 deaths in 2018.

 

[fluoxetine]

Yeah but it will change my DNA and put a 5G chip in my brain. **** you OP. @RUScrew85 knows what I’m talkin bout

 

[e5fdny]

So maybe I will go on that Safari afterall.

 

[WhiteBus]

So does Rutgers require all students get a malaria shot too?

 

[HeavenUniv.]

I don’t think I have ever heard of anyone getting malaria. Does anyone still get this in America?

 

[MulletCork]

I don’t think I have ever heard of anyone getting malaria. Does anyone still get this in America?

We have a client who does a good amount of work in Cameroon with a palm oil project we unfortunately had an investment in. He and his crew all have gotten malaria. Obviously there though but not here in the US.

 

[ecojew]

I don’t think I have ever heard of anyone getting malaria. Does anyone still get this in America?

Many Americans travel to countries, mostly tropical, where malaria not only still persists but has made a comeback since the numbers of cases dropped dramatically in the early 1960s as a result of a massive WHO program to eradicate the mosquitos. But like most tiny species, evolution occurs quickly in the mosquitoes, and soon resistance to the chemicals used in eradication programs developed.

For a long time, American doctors would prescribe Larium to people about to travel in malaria affected zones. I did that one summer and it was horrible - dreaming while awake, very little sleep for 3 months. After that I decided I would take my chances with malaria than go through that again.

So this news, to get back to the OP, this vaccine is potentially very good news.

Today, in the US, malaria carrying mosquitos are rare but it used to be a huge problem in Florida and, I believe, Louisiana and southern Texas.

 

[colbert17]

Thank God malaria isn't a problem in the U.S. If so we would have to walk around all day covered with mosquito netting.
I trust the science, don't you?

 

[BigRnj]

Thought this was worth a thread. Incredible breakthrough by researchers at Oxford in the UK, the KEMRI Wellcome Trust in Kenya, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Novavax, the Serum Institute of India, and the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Sante in Nanoro, Burkina Faso (which has a very high malaria burden). The vaccine was shown to be about 77% effective in preventing malaria infections in infants and toddlers in a medium sized phase III trial in Burkina Faso, which is far more effective than an earlier vaccine. A larger phase III trial begins shortly.

The vaccine utilizes a protein antigen that mimics the protein from the parasite (transmitted by mosquitos) that causes malaria to "trigger" the immune system to be ready to fight the parasite; it also uses the exact same adjuvant (a chemical known to enhance vaccine activity) from Novavax used in their COVID vaccine. Derek Lowe has an excellent blog entry on the new vaccine, including the detailed science involved in the production of the vaccine and how it works, linked below.

https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/archives/2021/04/23/great-malaria-vaccine-news

I knew the malaria problem was big, but I had no idea just how big until I just looked it up. As per the World Malaria Report, "there were 229 million cases of malaria in 2019 compared to 228 million cases in 2018. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 409 000 in 2019, compared with 411 000 deaths in 2018." Most of these cases are in children. If this can prevent the vast majority of infections and also decrease the severity of infections, it will be an accomplishment on the order of the COVID vaccines, especially given how long malaria has been such a terrible plague.

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malaria#:~:text=Disease burden,411 000 deaths in 2018.

I wish a malaria vaccine was around many years earlier. I’ve taken the regime of malaria pills dozens of times in the past for trips in South and Central America, Africa, and Asia. You take these huge pills daily several days prior, during and after travel to destinations where malaria is a risk. Not Fun!

 

[newell138]

Why isn’t Africa in lockdown?

 

[goru1869]

Why isn’t Africa in lockdown?

Very good question. African lives matter !

 

[Scarlet1984]

Very good question. African lives matter !

You seem like someone who thinks they’re funny but they’re actually not funny. Do you gravitate to other unfunny people and yuck it up over unfunny jokes?

Pro tip: being funny requires cleverness, irony and originality. Piling on to a lame comment with a lamer comment does not meet that minimum standard.

 

[goru1869]

You seem like someone who thinks they’re funny but they’re actually not funny. Do you gravitate to other unfunny people and yuck it up over unfunny jokes?

Pro tip: being funny requires cleverness, irony and originality. Piling on to a lame comment with a lamer comment does not meet that minimum standard.

Thanks for your opinion . Did I hurt your little communist feelings ?

 

[Eagleton96]

Thanks for your opinion . Did I hurt your little communist feel

Thanks for your opinion . Did I hurt your little communist feelings ?

Please stop tilting against communist windmills. Most people here aren't ideological rage-oholics. You don't need make everything into a battle in the culture war. You don't actually HAVE to be angry about politics all the time. It's a choice.

 

[Eagleton96]

Why isn’t Africa in lockdown?

In the USA, with full lockdown and the best medical care etc, COVID was more than 5 times more deadly than Malaria in Africa with no lockdown. So there is your answer.

 

[goru1869]

Please stop tilting against communist windmills. Most people here aren't ideological rage-oholics. You don't need make everything into a battle in the culture war. You don't actually HAVE to be angry about politics all the time. It's a choice.

Thanks for chiming in . But EVERYTHING is about politics . I made a joke which was 100% accurate and a commie had problems with it.

 

[goru1869]

In the USA, with full lockdown and the best medical care etc, COVID was more than 5 times more deadly than Malaria in Africa with no lockdown. So there is your answer.

Aren't you cute ?

 

[Eagleton96]

Thanks for chiming in . But EVERYTHING is about politics . I made a joke which was 100% accurate and a commie had problems with it.

Everything, to you, is about your brand of hater politics.

 

[goru1869]

Everything, to you, is about your brand of hater politics.

Thanks for your opinion .

 

[gogs7]

I don’t think I have ever heard of anyone getting malaria. Does anyone still get this in America?

Malaria was endemic in much of the U.S. until the 20th Century. Even New Jersey had malaria until the 1930's. Window screens played a big role in its demise. But state and county organized and funded mosquito control units were the key. Guess who pioneered that? A Rutgers professor, and his idea was emulated worldwide.

 

[Scarlet1984]

Thanks for chiming in . But EVERYTHING is about politics . I made a joke which was 100% accurate and a commie had problems with it.

To be unambiguous, the only funny thing is that you have the temerity to call that a joke.

Jokes are funny and people laugh.

 

[Eagleton96]

Aren't you cute ?

I recognize that "facts" and also "logic" can sometimes trigger allergic reactions among some of the more ideological posters on this board. Sorry for causing you any distress.

 

[Scarlet1984]

Dude, your “joke” didn’t even get a couple of the perfunctory “haha” likes.

My point stands.

 

[Eagleton96]

Malaria was endemic in much of the U.S. until the 20th Century. Even New Jersey had malaria until the 1930's. Window screens played a big role in its demise. But state and county organized and funded mosquito control units were the key. Guess who pioneered that? A Rutgers professor, and his idea was emulated worldwide.

Sounds like a big government plot to take away our freedoms.

 

[bac2therac]

Please stop tilting against communist windmills. Most people here aren't ideological rage-oholics. You don't need make everything into a battle in the culture war. You don't actually HAVE to be angry about politics all the time. It's a choice.

lol..werent you the same guy who said protesting during a pandemic was NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT

 

[Eagleton96]

lol..werent you the same guy who said protesting during a pandemic was NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT

I said it was more important than a baseball game. Do you have a point in there somewhere?

 

[bac2therac]

Sounds like science

 

[MADHAT1]

Thanks for your opinion . Did I hurt your little communist feelings ?

 

[RU848789]

Why isn’t Africa in lockdown?

Very good question. African lives matter !

Thanks for your opinion . Did I hurt your little communist feelings ?

@Richard Schnyderite - exhibit A for how CE board miscreants get perfectly good threads locked or moved to the CE board. It's the main reason we can't have COVID threads or even now, probably, science threads. Perhaps a little moderation would address the issue.