Rwanda has received 700 doses of a vaccine for the Marburg virus as part of its response to an ongoing outbreak, Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana announced on Sunday, October 6.
The vaccine shipment arrived on Saturday night, and vaccinations will begin immediately, prioritizing healthcare workers and frontline responders. Individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases will also be among the first to receive the vaccine.
The doses were provided by the Sabin Vaccine Institute with support from the United States government. According to the Sabin Vaccine Institute, about 80 percent of confirmed Marburg virus cases in Rwanda involve healthcare workers.
Rwanda reported its first Marburg virus outbreak on September 27, with 46 confirmed cases and 12 fatalities to date. The Sabin Vaccine Institute noted that the vaccine delivery occurred within one week of the request.
“We have entered into a clinical trial agreement with the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), which is sponsoring a Phase 2 rapid response open-label study,” the institute stated.
As of Saturday, 29 patients are currently isolated and receiving treatment for the virus, which presents symptoms such as high fever, severe headaches, muscle aches, vomiting, and diarrhea. Health authorities have identified at least 400 contacts of confirmed cases.
In a related effort, U.S. company Gilead Sciences announced on October 3 that it had donated approximately 5,000 vials of its antiviral drug remdesivir for emergency use in treating Marburg virus patients in Rwanda.
