The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) has announced encouraging results from the first human trial of its single-dose Lassa fever vaccine, confirming its safety and durable immune responses. Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Phase 1 trial involved 114 healthy volunteers in the U.S. and Liberia, monitored for 12 months post-vaccination.
The vaccine induced robust humoral and cellular immunity, producing antibodies reactive to various Lassa virus strains circulating in West Africa, supporting its potential for broad protection. Importantly, no serious adverse events or cases of hearing loss a known risk of Lassa fever were reported.
Dr. Swati Gupta of IAVI highlighted the urgent need for this vaccine, given Lassa fever’s deadly toll in West Africa and lack of licensed vaccines or therapeutics. Funded by CEPI, the vaccine utilizes the same platform as the licensed Ebola vaccine ERVEBO® and is advancing into Phase 2 trials across West African countries including Nigeria, Liberia, and Ghana.
This breakthrough comes as regional health ministers reaffirm vaccine preparedness, marking a critical step forward in combating a disease that remains a major health threat in Nigeria and neighboring countries.
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