Malaria vaccine clears hurdles

The first ever experimental vaccine against malaria to provide a high degree of protection has been identified by scientists at SmithKline Beecham and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. In trials, six out of seven volunteers given the most advanced form of the vaccine remained free of infection. All of the non-vaccinated volunteers became infected.

The results described in the New England Journal of Medicine follow 20 years of research in the field looking for replacements for current drugs and scientists will now trial the vaccine in West Africa.