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World's First Vaccine Against Malaria To Arrive Next Year, Says WHO (bbc.com)
An anonymous reader shares a report: The world's first vaccine against malaria will be introduced in three countries -- Ghana, Kenya and Malawi -- starting in 2018. The RTS,S vaccine trains the immune system to attack the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquito bites. The World Health Organization (WHO) said the jab had the potential to save tens of thousands of lives. But it is not yet clear if it will be feasible to use in the poorest parts of the world. The vaccine needs to be given four times -- once a month for three months and then a fourth dose 18 months later.
Come on. we all know how this is going to go. The "leaders" of these countries will protest and stop the vaccinations, claiming they are an American plot to harm the poor African children. Somehow they will enrich themselves over this but still few if any will be vaccinated. A few volunteer aid workers will be killed. Billions in U.S aid will flow to the countries, but the common people will not get it.
I'm an American. I love this country and the freedoms that we used to have.
Third base.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
Funny, it appears that decent life-expectancy and quality of life seems to go a long way toward fighting birthrate.
Perhaps if people don't expect their children to die young they don't feel a need to have so many of them.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
But even if only foreigner and rich citizens get vaccinated :
- By being vaccinated, there's a bit less risk that they (or more correctly: their mosquitoes) will transmit malaria to somebody else.
(Which would other wise would happen in the time frame between the parasite entering the body and the disease being cured by antimalaric drugs).
It won't be enough to develop herd immunity (see children viruses in developed world - at least until anti-vaxxer started messing around), but it's a tiny bit help in reducing propagation (see influenza virus in the developed world) - even if only a drop in the bucket.
- Also prevention based on vaccination of travelling foreigner, is a lot less likely than the current prevention (dosing traveller with anti-malaric drug in advance) to overload the environment with drug to the point that the parasite has pressure to mutate and develop resistance.
And this has very important long-term ecological benefits. (Less risks of drugs stopping to work eventually)
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
A lot of ignorant people say this (from their cushy first world armchairs) but it is a lot easier for people to improve their countries when they're not sick all the time.
My understanding is that malaria is mostly life-threatening in remote parts of Africa that don't have a resident doctor or access to quinine. It seems improbable these remote areas will have access to this vaccine if they don't have access to quinine. I imagine the vaccine needs refrigeration, which may not be available. Requiring 3 jabs a month apart and a 4th 18 months later means a traveling doctor/missionary won't be able to come through the village once and successfully vaccinate people.
I'm aware there is a strain of malaria that is becoming increasingly common, that is deadlier and resistant to quinine, maybe that's what the vaccine will be most effective in preventing.
Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
I always think of Douglas Adams calling the mosquito "Nature's Viet Cong" for making it much more expensive to cut down all the rain forests. I hope the laudable goal of saving people doesn't have the negative side effect of accelerated jungle destruction.
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