The vaccines were delivered on Saturday, October 13, 2024, by the Sabin Vaccine Institute, which sent an initial shipment of 700 Marburg vaccine doses on October 5, nine days after Rwanda declared its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus.
The Ministry of Health rolled out vaccination efforts targeting frontline health workers on October 8.
The Sabin Vaccine Institute stated that the single-dose Marburg vaccine is being administered in accordance with clinical protocols reviewed and approved by Rwandan ethics and regulatory authorities.
The U.S.-based institution is currently conducting Phase 2 clinical trials for vaccines targeting both Marburg and Sudan ebolaviruses. As part of MARVAC, a WHO-coordinated consortium focused on developing vaccines for the Marburg virus, Sabin's vaccine development is supported by BARDA, which has allocated $235 million to fund research and development for the filoviruses.
Rwanda has so far confirmed 61 cases of Marburg virus, 14 deaths, and 18 recoveries from more than 3,300 tests conducted.
The virus is believed to originate in fruit bats and spreads through close contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals.
Initial symptoms of Marburg virus disease include high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue, followed by gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.
To prevent infection, health experts recommend strict hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing and avoiding contact with personal items or bodily fluids of individuals showing symptoms of Marburg virus disease.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwanda-receives-1-000-additional-doses-of-marburg-virus-vaccine
