Evidence from Madagascar shows that vaccination could mitigate climate-driven disruptions to malaria control

Extreme weather events are common in high malaria burden areas and likely to increase in severity due to climate change. Yet, data on infection rates following these events and the consequences for disease control programs remain rare. Using data from Madagascar, we estimate high rates of infection in the wake of two major tropical cyclones and show infection rebounds rapidly during gaps in standard interventions. Relative to other control options, recently available malaria vaccines have a longer duration of protection, with the potential to address interruptions in prevention deployment. Evaluating this use, we quantify the reduction in symptomatic infections expected for a range of vaccination scenarios. We find long-lasting interventions such as vaccination are a key mitigation measure against climatic disruptions to disease control.