Given resource constraints, this approach could be the key to rolling out a targeted response that would “bring an end to [the] devastating outbreak” in the DRC, according to Dr Richard Hatchett, the chief executive of Cepi, which is co-funding the study.
“Findings…will provide important real-world data in local populations, including older children, that could be key to informing mpox vaccine use recommendations in endemic countries and helping to bring an end to this devastating outbreak,” he said.
Dr Patrick Katoto, who is set to lead the trial at the Centre for Tropical Disease and Global Health, Catholic University of Bukavu in the DRC, said the “strategic” project would provide critical insights.
“Assessing both the safety and efficacy of mpox vaccine in post-exposure scenarios will not only fill the current knowledge gap but also guide response strategies to save lives by protecting at-risk populations and preventing the spread of mpox throughout the country and beyond,” he said.
As well as contributing to this $4.9 million trial, Cepi is also funding a $6.5 million phase two study to evaluate the Bavarian vaccine in children as young as two.
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