Tracking RTS,S, R21, and Next-Generation Malaria Vaccines
Updated July 2026. Malaria causes 610,000 deaths annually (WHO 2024 data), with about 438,000 African children under 5 dying from the disease each year. Two WHO-recommended vaccines are now in routine use: RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix), recommended by WHO in October 2021, and R21/Matrix-M, recommended in October 2023 and WHO-prequalified in December 2023. Both are given as a 4-dose schedule from around 5 months of age and reduce clinical malaria by more than 50% in the first year post-vaccination — rising to about 75% when used seasonally alongside seasonal malaria chemoprevention. Rollout scale (2026): More than 20 African countries have integrated malaria vaccines into routine immunization programs, and over 24 million doses have been delivered. Uganda launched Africa's largest malaria vaccination campaign in March 2025 (2.278 million R21 doses across 105 districts, targeting 1.1 million children under 2). Global annual demand is projected at 40–60 million doses by 2026 and 80–100 million doses by 2030. This tracker monitors both approved vaccines plus emerging candidates including whole sporozoite vaccines (PfSPZ), viral vector vaccines, and novel mRNA platforms.