The Research Director of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Epicentre, Rebecca Grais has said that giving people 20% of yellow fever vaccine to effectively save millions of lives during emergencies in Northeast. According to results of a recent study; led by Doctors without Borders research and published in The Lancet, the recommended vaccine dose; is effective and safe. Grais in statement yesterday (Saturday) in Maiduguri, disclosed that; “it will be easier for governments and international organisations to prevent people sick from yellow fever during outbreaks in times of vaccine shortages.” MSF’s International Medical Coordinator, Myriam Henkens, also said: “When big yellow fever epidemics hit, countries and the MSF need to access vaccines urgently “Vaccination is the most important measure for preventing the disease. “This study means that treatment providers can now rest assured that giving people smaller doses of any of the World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified yellow fever vaccines.” According to her, this will protect the person in front of them while helping to keep even more people safe. On the the Epicentre study, she said: “In collaboration with the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, and the WHO, was a randomized, double-blind trial in Mbarara, Uganda and Kilifi, Kenya conducted this study between November 6, 2017 and February 21, 2018. “During this period, researchers administered either one-fifth or a standard dose of yellow fever vaccine to 960 adults between the ages of 18 and 59 years old. “People receiving one-fifth of the dose were found to have an immunological response that was considered non-inferior to the standard dose.” She said the current WHO policy on fractional doses of yellow fever vaccines in times of shortages during an outbreak can be expanded to all prequalified vaccines. Grais warned that as yellow fever has no cure, prevention is extremely important to save millions of people’s lives. According to her, a single dose of the vaccine can protect a person for life. “Unfortunately, it takes about a year to produce and it is difficult to forecast the quantities that will be needed to respond to outbreaks of yellow fever,” she noted; warning that there are often shortages of its vaccine. This means that production capacity cannot meet global needs during epidemics, leaving people without protection and medical providers like MSF and governments empty-handed when vaccines are needed most. “More than a billion people currently live in areas of the world where yellow fever is common,” said Isabelle Defourny, MSF director of operations. Continuing, she added; “This is especially true in big cities, like Maiduguri where yellow fever can spread rapidly, causing thousands of deaths and very serious humanitarian consequences. “At a time when the world is fighting so many other health threats, it’s encouraging to know that research like this will directly result in more lives being saved.”
