(STAT News) – Starting Monday, a new, highly effective malaria vaccine will be rolled out for the first time, as an immunization campaign for children kicks off in Cameroon — a day that global health officials say marked a historic step in the decades-long quest to protect people from one of the world’s deadliest infections.

The vaccine drive in Cameroon — the first launch of the vaccine outside of clinical trials and pilot programs — comes as some 20 African countries make plans for their own rollouts this year in the face of rising malaria cases and deaths. (Read More)