World's first malaria vaccine to benefit millions of children, say Unicef

A baby from the Malawi village of Tomali is injected with the world's first vaccine against malaria in a pilot program, in Tomali, Dec 11, 2019. British pharmaceutical company GSK has been awarded a contract to produce the world's first malaria vaccine so that millions more children will be protected against the killer disease. – Photo: AP

British pharmaceutical company GSK has been awarded a contract to produce the world's first malaria vaccine so that millions more children will be protected against the killer disease, the UN Children's Fund (Unicef) announced on Tuesday, Xinhua reported.

The landmark award, valued at up to US$170mil (RM759mil), will lead to 18 million doses of the RTS,S vaccine available over the next three years, potentially saving thousands of young lives annually.