[Malaria vaccine--reality or illusion?]

Although attempts to develop an effective malaria vaccine have been made already for decades, they have met little success. The malarial parasite is able to avoid the body's immune defense in various ways, which complicates vaccine development. A number of vaccines are, however, being developed. The RTS,S vaccine, furthest along in the development process, has undergone part of phase III clinical trials and according to initial results has provided an approximately 50% protection for children of 5 to 17 months of age.