Results of a peer-review study published in Nature Medicine established the study conducted by the Universities of Oxford and Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, vaccination against Lassa Fever – a viral disease spread by rodents and contaminated food – would shield millions of people from contracting the illness and the expensive medical bills that could otherwise force them into poverty.
In the view of the CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, CEPI, Richard Hatchett, Lassa fever is a serious public health problem in West Africa and is already threatened to spread to further regions as climate and environmental change increase epidemic risk.
The research team, led by Senior Researcher David Smith, also assessed the impact of deploying a vaccine against a new Lassa-like virus with pandemic potential – a hypothetical disease they called Lassa X – within 100 days of its emergence.
This was to model the potential impact of the 100 Days Mission in the event of a future human outbreak of a Lassa-like viral disease. The result suggests that a population-wide vaccination campaign against Lassa fever in West Africa could significantly reduce the disease’s impact.
By vaccinating 40 percent of the population annually with a safe and 70 percent effective vaccine within 100 days of an outbreak, researchers estimate that over 5,500 lives could be saved and 33,000 hospitalisations prevented during two years.