The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved the R21 malaria vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

The Director General of NAFDAC, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja.

This makes Nigeria the second country to approve the new malaria vaccine developed at the University of Oxford, after Ghana.

Professor Adeyeye said the vaccine is indicated for the prevention of clinical malaria in children from 5 months to 36 months of age.

She said the country expects to get at least 100,000 doses of the vaccine in donations soon before the market authorization will start making other arrangements with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.

She said the dossier of the vaccine was subjected to independent review at two levels.

In Nigeria, 97 percent of the population are at risk of malaria.