The arrival of two antimalarial vaccines, recommended by WHO since the end of 2023, brought promising prospects in the face of this scourge. RTS, S and R21 vaccines are now integrated into the fight against malaria of around twenty African countries, including Chad. They are administered in four doses to children from five months and act against the A. falciparumthe most widespread and deadliest malaria parasite. During clinical trials, the two vaccines made it possible to reduce the number of malaria cases by more than 50% during the first year following vaccination. The R21 vaccine has even reduced the number of cases detected by rapid tests in the high seasonal transmission areas of malaria, where a chemoprevention of malaria was ensured, according to WHO. According to Élodie Aché, mother of two children, aged five months and two years respectively, this new vaccine ” is a very good system ». She says: “Several members of my family had malaria, including my two children. Children with malaria make convulsions and we have to go to the health center to treat them». How to deploy the larger -scale vaccine in real conditions today represents a major issue.
It is to try to face it that the Chadian and MSF health authorities are studying in Moïssala. By associating the administration of the R21 vaccine at the CPS this year, the teams compare this strategy in relation to the integration of R21 in the routine vaccination program (PEV). The objective is to assess the effectiveness in terms of reducing the number of cases, but also to assess vaccination coverage, compliance with the vaccination scheme, acceptability, operational feasibility and the cost-effectiveness of these two approaches. For Dr. San-Maurice Ouattara, MSF (Epicentre) epidemiologist, “Combining CPS and vaccination in a single campaign could improve the third dose coverage as well as recall that by offering optimal protection during the rainy season».
