Malaria has long been a global scourge, killing some 500,000 people a year, more than half of them children under 5. But that may be about to change, thanks to the introduction of a malaria vaccine—the first vaccine ever against a parasitic infection. The shot has been in the works since 1987, at a cost of more than $750 million, mostly funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline. Dubbed Mosquirix, it was recommended for approval by the World Health Organization in October, after a field trial involving 800,000 children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi. The four-dose regimen was found to cut the risk of infection by 40% and the risk of severe infection by 30%. —Jeffrey Kluger
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Who Will Be TIME's Person of the Year 2023?
- Why Cell Phone Reception Is Getting Worse
- The Dirty Secrets of Alternative Plastics
- Column: It's Time to Scrap the Abraham Accords
- Israeli Family Celebrates Release of Hostage Grandmother
- In a New Movie, Beyoncé Finds Freedom
- The Top 100 Photos of 2023
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time