The US government has launched a phase 1 clinical trial for a vaccine candidate to prevent Lassa Fever, a deadly disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring the trial, which aims to develop a vaccine that can prevent illness through vaccination.
The new vaccine, called LASSARAB, is based on a combination of the complete Lassa glycoprotein complex and an attenuated rabies vaccine. If successful, it could be used to prevent both Lassa Fever and Rabies diseases.
Lassa Fever is a significant public health concern in West Africa, where it has been responsible for thousands of deaths each year. The World Health Organization has ranked it as the most likely animal virus to infect humans ahead of Ebola. In Nigeria alone, the disease has already claimed over 300 lives this year, with many more reported in other West African countries.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advise that travelers returning from endemic areas be screened for Lassa Fever, although they do not currently screen people arriving in the US. The launch of this vaccine trial is a promising step towards reducing the disease burden from Lassa outbreaks.
Source: https://www.vax-before-travel.com/nigerias-lassa-fever-outbreak-need-preventive-vaccine-2025-03-17