RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine (Mosquirix™): a guide to its use

RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix™), the first malaria vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum, is indicated for the active immunization of infants and children aged 6 weeks to 17 months, with three intramuscular doses administered at months 0, 1 and 2 and a booster dose administered at month 20. In a phase 3 trial, RTS,S/AS01 had efficacy in both infants aged 6–12 weeks and children aged 5–17 months, with an acceptable tolerability profile. However, the duration of protection afforded by RTS,S/AS01 remains unclear. In modelling studies, RTS,S/AS01 had a significant public health impact was cost effective. The WHO has recommended pilot implementation of RTS,S/AS01 in children aged 5–17 months before a wider scale-up is considered. © 2016, Springer International Publishing Switzerland.