A box of 200 mosquitoes did the vaccinating in a malaria vaccine trial. Mosquitoes deliver live malaria-causing Plasmodium parasites that have been genetically modified to not get people sick. The body still makes antibodies against the weakened parasite so it’s prepared to fight the real thing. The malaria vaccine is not yet ready for prime time, but the small trial of 26 participants did show that the modified parasites protected some participants from a malaria infection for a few months. The WHO-approved RTS,S vaccine only has an efficacy rate of 30-40%.Read Long Article
