Malaria vaccine price to fall 40%, to €5.50 a dose

UNICEF, backed by Gavi, has agreed a price cut of about 40% for the RTS,S vaccine. Savings of around $50 million in 2027–2029 will allow up to a million more children to be fully vaccinated.

Production is moving from GSK to India’s Bharat Biotech, and the new price should apply from early 2027, provided the new plant passes WHO prequalification. The vaccine is already part of routine immunisation in 25 African countries, and UNICEF has delivered more than 74 million doses. A full four-dose course given seasonally cuts cases by about 75%.

The figures show why it matters: in 2024 there were about 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths worldwide, and three quarters of those who died were children under five. A cheaper vaccine means more children protected for the same money.