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Today marks the official rollout of the new R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine - co-developed by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India, leveraging Novavax’s Matrix-M™ adjuvant technology. In a historic step in the battle to beat malaria, the first official vaccination is due to take place in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, this morning and will be subsequently rolled-out in 38 districts across the country.

Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, Robert Beugré Mambé; Minister of Health of Côte d’Ivoire, Pierre Dimba; CEO of Gavi, Dr Sania Nishtar; Kouyate Aïcha (mother); and Diomandé Aboulaye (son, 8 months).

Côte d’Ivoire will become the first country to roll-out the new R21/Matrix-M™ vaccine with the first child vaccinated in Abidjan, marking a critical step and historic milestone in the global fight against malaria.

Every year 600,000 people die of malaria in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Children under five years of age make up at least 80% of those deaths. Although the number of malaria-related deaths has fallen from 3,222 in 2017 to 1,316 in 2020 in Côte d'Ivoire, the mosquito-borne disease kills four people a day, mostly small children, and "remains the leading cause of medical consultations, according to the Ministry of Health.

R21/Matrix-M™ was co-developed by the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India, leveraging Novavax’s Matrix-M™ adjuvant technology. In December 2023, the WHO granted R21/Matrix-M™ prequalification status, following a rigorous regulatory process and clinical assessment. Trials also demonstrated that the vaccine was well tolerated, with a good safety profile, with injection site pain and fever as the most frequent adverse events.

Read the full story on the University of Oxford website