Sir, – "Irish scientist heads team behind malaria vaccine hailed as breakthrough" (News, April 23rd) would have made front-page news were it not for Covid-19.
Considering that over 400,000 people, mostly children, die each year from malaria, that mosquito-borne parasite disease, any effective vaccine would be of great importance in the fight against the scourge.
The vaccine developed by Prof Adrian Hill and his team is showing up to 77 per cent efficacy in trials to date. They are hoping for a speedy approval for its use.
Considering that malaria has killed at least four times as many people in Africa as Covid-19 did, he hopes the powers that be will give the vaccine an emergency use review and authorisation.
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If Prof Hill’s efforts were successfully supported by persons of influence in this country and abroad, it might result in many young lives being saved. – Yours, etc,
BOBBY CARTY,
Belmullet,
Co Mayo.