In this Huffington Post opinion piece, Tido von Schoen-Angerer, executive director of the Doctors Without Borders Access to Essential Medicines Campaign, responds to the results of the RTS,S malaria vaccine clinical trial announced last week, writing, “A malaria vaccine that works would be a major breakthrough. But while the latest advance toward the development is scientifically important, there are several reasons to be cautious about the difference this vaccine could make, on the basis of current results.”

Von Schoen-Angerer writes that protection from the vaccine is low by international standards and potentially only short-term. “So while research must continue to see whether we can improve these results, the important point right now is to continue fighting malaria with all the other tools we know work — prevention tools like bed nets and insecticides, tests to help rapidly diagnose disease and, most importantly, treatment that works to save lives” (10/24).