Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) has authorised the start of human trials of what is described as the world’s first vaccine against malaria caused by the Plasmodium vivax parasite, which is responsible for most cases of the disease in the country. Named Vivaxin, the vaccine was created by the Vaccine Technology Centre (CTVacinas) at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), using 100% Brazilian technology.
The first phase will assess safety, possible reactions and the vaccine’s ability to stimulate an immune response. The study will involve 48 volunteers aged 18 to 59 with no previous infection, who will be clinically monitored for 360 days. The Ministry of Health has earmarked 12 million reais to support phase I, II and III clinical trials.
The two malaria vaccines currently recommended target Plasmodium falciparum, which predominates in Africa, whereas P. vivax is most common in the Americas and Asia. According to the Ministry of Health, Brazil recorded 118,037 malaria cases in 2025, mostly in the Amazon region, and progress in this research represents “a milestone”.
