Protecting children from malaria is a major challenge in many parts of the world. Researchers looked at how the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine works in children aged 5 to 17 months across six African countries. They wanted to see how long the body keeps the specific antibodies needed to fight off the parasite.
The study found that one specific type of antibody, called C-terminus, lasted longer in the body than another type called NANP-repeat. While both types were important, the C-terminus antibodies stayed steady over a 17-month period. When children received a booster shot, these C-terminus levels jumped significantly, even higher than they were after the first dose.
Importantly, the researchers found that having these long-lasting antibodies was linked to a lower risk of getting malaria. While this was an observational study, it suggests that the ability to maintain these antibodies over time is a key part of how the vaccine works. Because this was an ancillary study of a phase 3 trial, it provides a deeper look at the immune response rather than a new clinical trial result.
