US non-profit Sabin Vaccine Institute said it “entered into a clinical trial agreement with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre,” according to African News.
Rwanda announced the Marburg virus outbreak on 27 September. The trial was revealed by Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana on Sunday, 6 October.
The vaccination is starting, focusing on the most at risk, most exposed. We have health workers working in treatment centres, in hospitals, ICU (intensive care unit), emergency, but also the close contacts of the confirmed cases.
Under the approved protocol, about 700 high-risk adults will be vaccinated at 6 clinical research centres.
The virus is believed to originate from bats and is spread between humans through close contact with infected people’s body fluids or surfaces. There is no official vaccine or treatment for Marburg virus, with the death toll in Rwanda reaching 12.
