Lassa fever vaccine trial begins in Maryland

A clinical trial for a Lassa fever vaccine has started at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. This NIH-sponsored trial aims to test the safety and immune response of a candidate vaccine called LASSARAB in healthy adults. The trial will enroll up to 55 participants aged 18 to 50. They will receive two doses of the vaccine or a rabies vaccine as a control, spaced 28 days apart. LASSARAB is based on a modified rabies vaccine and has shown promise in nonhuman primates. If successful, it could help prevent both Lassa fever and rabies, pending further testing and FDA approval.