{
  "id": 14206975,
  "title": "Malaria: Human trials approved for 100% Brazilian vaccine",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/malaria-human-trials-approved-for-100-brazilian-vaccine",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-13T12:42:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Agencia Brasil",
    "slug": "agencia-brasil",
    "url": "https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/saude/noticia/2026-10/malaria-human-trials-approved-100-brazilian-vaccine"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Brazil's drug authority Anvisa has given the green light for human trials of the world's first malaria vaccine, developed entirely using Brazilian technology. Titled Vivaxin, the vaccine targets Plasmodium vivax, the parasite responsible for the majority of malaria cases in Brazil. The Vaccine Technology Center (CTVacinas) at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) is behind the vaccine's research. The Ministry of Health has allocated BRL 12 million to fund Phase I, II, and III clinical trials for Vivaxin. In the initial Phase I trial, researchers will evaluate the vaccine's safety, potential side effects, and its capability to trigger an immune response in 48 healthy participants aged 18 to 59, with no prior malaria infection. These participants will be monitored for 360 days following the trial. The government highlighted this development as a significant milestone, as malaria affected 118,037 people in Brazil in 2025. The two existing malaria vaccines, designed to combat Plasmodium falciparum, which is prevalent in Africa, do not address the strains of the disease that are more common in the Americas and Asia. Malaria is transmitted to humans via the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, which are most active during twilight, dusk, and dawn. While malaria is not contagious, a person who has experienced multiple infections may develop partial immunity, showing minimal symptoms. However, a complete, sterilizing immunity against the disease has not been achieved. In Brazil, the majority of malaria cases are found in the Amazon region, comprising the states of Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, and Tocantins. The non-Amazon region, including the remaining Brazilian states, has reported fewer cases, but the case fatality rate in this area is higher than in the Amazon.",
  "summary": "Brazil’s drug authority Anvisa has authorized the start of human trials for the world’s first vaccine against malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax , the parasite responsible for most cases of the disease in Brazil. The vaccine is produced using 100 percent Brazilian technology. In a statement, the Ministry of Health explained that the vaccine, called Vivaxin, is the result of research conducted by…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}