The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC), has granted approval for the R21/Matrix Malaria Vaccine (Recombinant, Adjuvanted) developed by scientists at Oxford University. Nigeria became the second country to approve of the use of the vaccine after Ghana's approval, which is adjudged to be 80 percent effective. The only vaccine previously endorsed for malaria by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is the RTS, S/AS01 (RTS,S) vaccine which is 29 percent effective in preventing severe malaria. The Director-General of NAFDAC Mojisola Adeyeye made this revelation on 17th April 2023 at a press briefing “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in exercising its mandate as stipulated by its enabling law, NAFDAC Act CapN1, LFN 2004 is granting registration approval for R21 malaria vaccine”
“The vaccine is indicated for the prevention of clinical malaria in children from five months to 36 months of age. The storage temperature of the vaccine is 2-8 °C.” “approval of the R21 Malaria vaccine has been communicated to the minister of health and national primary health care development agency for appropriate actions toward immunization in the respective population.”
Adeyeye noted that the country expects to get at least 100,000 doses of the new vaccine in donations before the market authorization makes other arrangements, particularly with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
