SYDNEY, May 13 -- Researchers in Australia have developed a next-generation malaria vaccine that requires no refrigeration and shows strong potential to provide long-lasting protection and reduce transmission by mosquitoes.

The vaccine is predicted to be low-cost, and its cold-chain independence strongly enhances its deployability, said a statement of Australia's Griffith University released on Wednesday.

Malaria kills more than 500,000 people each year, mostly in developing countries where vaccine storage and distribution remain major challenges.

"Existing vaccines offer only partial and short-lived protection and are difficult to distribute across the globe as they require strict refrigeration," said Griffith University Professor Ber...