Question

Vaccination of malaria is not possible because
A. They can induce antibodies and antitoxin production
B. They cannot induce antibodies and antitoxin production
C. Antibodies resistant to vaccines are produced.
D. None of the above.

Answer 1

A vaccine provides active and acquired immunity against a particular pathogen. The causative agent of malaria is a very complex organism and so developing antibodies against it is difficult.

Complete answer: A vaccine is a biological preparation which can build active acquired immunity against a specific infectious disease. Usually, a vaccine includes an agent that resembles a microorganism that causes diseases. The agent activates the immune system of the body. The immune system identifies the agent as a threat and destroys it. It can further identify and kill all of the microorganisms connected with that agent. Malaria vaccines are not feasible because they cannot stimulate the development of antibodies and antitoxins. The parasite Plasmodium causes malaria. Being a very complex organism, at any step of the infectious process, it alters its appearance. Hence, it does not cause the development of antibodies or antitoxins in the body. There is an exceptional capacity of the malaria parasite to evade the immune system, which may explain the failure of malaria vaccines to date. It is high time to think about alternative therapies for this disease in a serious way.
So, the correct answer is option B.

Note: A vaccine that is used to avoid malaria is a malaria vaccine. As of 2015, the only vaccine approved is ‘RTS, S known by the ‘Mosquirix’ trade name. It takes four injections, and its efficacy is relatively poor. Because of this poor effectiveness, regular use of the RTS, S vaccine in babies aged 6 to 12 weeks is not recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).