[Malaria vaccination: status of development and prospects]

The development of an active immunization against malaria is a major goal of scientific research for the last 10 years. While basic information about immunologic relevant epitopes for vaccine development are already available it must be conceded that there is a far way to a clinically available vaccine which is effective, well tolerated and--cheap. This review deals with the present difficulties for vaccine development and their approach to reality. It is tempting to speculate that control and eradication of malaria by the use of vaccines will be a challenge for the next 2 generations at least.