Malaria’s catastrophic toll has inspired many attempts to create a viable vaccine, but the genetic complexity of the malaria parasite has made vaccine development difficult. Only one vaccine, the RTS,S vaccine, has completed large-scale clinical testing and it only protected about 40% of recipients. In 2020, however, there have been three promising studies, each focusing on a novel approach to the malaria vaccine. These studies could open up new avenues in the fight against the disease.
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Many in the scientific community have applauded both of these trials. Despite falling short of delivering full immunity to malaria, as proof-of-principle studies, they illustrate that genetically engineered malaria vaccines hold promise.