Gamer Dork

Encouraging new data on a malaria vaccine from Oxford University bodes well for global effort to combat the mosquito-borne disease that kills a child every minute, its makers said on Wednesday. https://t.co/fcJ7hV5XgX

— Reuters Health (@Reuters_Health) September 8, 2022

This is pretty big news! https://t.co/ao993O2NK2

— Stephen McDonell (@StephenMcDonell) September 8, 2022

… It has taken more than a century to develop effective vaccines as the malaria parasite, which is spread by mosquitoes, is spectacularly complex and elusive. It is a constantly moving target, shifting forms inside the body, which make it hard to immunise against.

Last year, the World Health Organization gave the historic go-ahead for the first vaccine – developed by pharmaceutical giant GSK – to be used in Africa.

However, the Oxford team claim their approach is more effective and can be manufactured on a far greater scale.

Trial results from 409 children in Nanoro, Burkina Faso, have been published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases. It shows three initial doses followed by a booster a year later gives up to 80% protection…

The team will start the process of getting their vaccine approved in the next few weeks, but a final decision will hinge on the results of a larger trial of 4,800 children due before the end of the year.

The world’s largest vaccine manufacturer – the Serum Institute of India – is already lined up to make more than 100 million doses a year.

Prof Hill said the vaccine – called R21 – could be made for “a few dollars” and “we really could be looking at a very substantial reduction in that horrendous burden of malaria”.

He added: “We hope that this will be deployed and available and saving lives, certainly by the end of next year.”

Malaria has been one of the biggest scourges on humanity for millennia and mostly kills babies and infants. The disease still kills more than 400,000 people a year even after dramatic progress with bed nets, insecticides and drugs…

Gareth Jenkins, from the charity Malaria No More UK said: “Today’s R21 vaccine results from Oxford’s renowned Jenner Institute are another encouraging signal that, with the right support, the world could end child deaths from malaria in our lifetimes.”

Much more detail at the link.

Please note that in retweeting this piece of good news I am not implying that we should become complacent or take anything for granted or stay home in November or anything else that people who lecture anyone who posts good news want to lecture me about. I'm just happy. https://t.co/afHYfltIvX

— Jerry 🍨 (@js_edit) September 9, 2022

This is a fun D&D thread to eavesdrop on (trigger warnings: mild disrepect towards public figures, cartoonish violence against Piers Morgan)…

Your stats:

Cute: 16
Combat: 12
Smarts: 14
Stealth: 14

These are the numbers you must roll at or under to pass an unmodified skill check. Modifications may make the rolls easier or harder.

You also have 10 HP. If you get to 0, you die. https://t.co/lofdAIH2sm

— Starfish In Charge Of WB Tax Evasion Dept. (@IRHotTakes) September 9, 2022