Nairobi — The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Wellcome Trust, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, is set to launch the first Phase 2 of Rift Valley Fever vaccine-ChAdOx1 RVF, in Kenya.
The $3.7 (Sh477.4 million) CEPI-funded trial will involve a total of 240 healthy adult participants.
RVF is a mosquito-borne viral illness that can affect humans and farm animals.
The disease was first identified in Kenya's Rift Valley, but in recent decades, it has been detected across much of Africa and also in the Middle East
In January this year the Director-General for Health, Patrick Amoth confirmed the first human case of RVF in the country.
It is typically transmitted through contact with infected animals' blood, body fluids, tissues, or bites from infected mosquitoes, with livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, and camels being common hosts.
Both the World Health Organization(WHO) and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention have identified Rift Valley fever as a priority disease for research and development
While Rift Valley fever vaccines have been registered for animals, no vaccines are currently available or licensed for human use.
Outbreaks of Rift Valley fever have been consistently linked with the intense periods of rainfall and flooding in Kenya and other parts of the continent.
According to Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, the initiation of this trial in the country will not only demonstrate the continent's metamorphosing leadership in advancing clinical trials but will be fundamental to prioritizing the health of the people.
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"Africa CDC is proud to support this initiative that not only prioritizes the health of our people but also demonstrates the continent's growing leadership in advancing clinical research," he stated.
" The ChAdOx1 RVF vaccine offers hope to vulnerable populations who are disproportionately affected by the growing impact of climate change," he added.
According to Professor George Warimwe, Deputy Executive Director of the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research programme, and who will be the Principal Investigator of the upcoming trial,the trial will be fundamental in "bringing us closer" to addressing the rising frequency of outbreaks.
: "Nearly 100 years after Rift Valley fever was discovered, there are still no approved vaccines or treatments against the disease. This vaccine trial brings us closer to addressing the rising frequency of outbreaks," he stated.
The institutions claimed in a joint press release that the vaccine had demonstrated promising outcomes in the initial round of clinical trials carried out in the United Kingdom.
"The vaccine has been developed on the University of Oxford's ChAdOx1 vaccine platform, the same technology behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine which has saved millions of lives worldwide," the statement read.
