Preparing today for tomorrow’s Lassa fever vaccines

With the prospect of protection against Lassa fever closer than ever before, CEPI and the West African Health Organization (WAHO) today launched the first end-to-end access roadmap for Lassa fever vaccines. This roadmap sets out a coordinated pathway to ensure that future licensed Lassa vaccines reach the populations who need them most.

The comprehensive resource—created with expert insight from public health officials and Ministers of Health across West Africa, the region where Lassa fever is endemic—aims to provide crucial details to help health, science and government partners, including the Lassa fever Coalition, plan for the introduction and rollout of potential future doses years in advance of a licensed product. It will also support Lassa fever vaccine funders and policy-makers in addressing the key needs around vaccine market access. 

The roadmap outlines what needs to take place across the vaccine ecosystem—from early research and development through to policy, manufacturing, procurement, delivery and sustained use.

It is available on the CEPI website in English and French, as well as the WAHO website for anybody interested to read and use.

“For decades, Lassa fever has affected the lives and livelihoods of people across West Africa – but the tide is turning. With experts expecting the first Lassa vaccine approvals in the next five years, we must begin our preparations for what’s to come now” says Emma Wheatley, Executive Director of Access and Business Development at CEPI. 

“However, we know that a vaccine is not enough to get doses into arms. To achieve impact and save lives, it must reach those who need it. This new roadmap captures a vision shared by WAHO, countries, developers and funders of what is needed next to achieve that impact and who does what. Only through working in partnership will we meet our end goal of reducing the burden to this potentially deadly threat.”

Dr Virgil Lokossou, Director of Healthcare Services at WAHO , said: “Ending the threat of Lassa fever demands early, deliberate actions —rooted in strong regional preparedness and sustained, trusted partnerships. The Lassa Fever End-to-End Access Roadmap represents a decisive step forward: a clear, region-led framework through which West Africa is defining its own priorities for vaccine access and aligning countries, partners, and institutions around a shared vision and complementary roles. This first version of the roadmap is a foundation, not a finish line. WAHO is committed to working hand-in-hand with our Member States and a broad coalition of global and regional partners to translate this roadmap into action, continuously refine it, and ensure that a safe, effective Lassa fever vaccine reaches all who need it—equitably, sustainably, and without delay.”

A growing West African threat

Lassa fever is a potentially deadly haemmorhagic disease affecting countries across West Africa. First discovered over 50 years ago in the town of Lassa in Nigeria, it has since spread across the region, primarily transmitted to people through its rodent hosts. It is estimated to cause thousands of infections each year, with symptoms including headache, fever, chest and back pain, and bleeding from body parts which can be fatal. In those that recover, hearing loss is commonly reported post-infection. 

Through recent innovation, funding and collaboration, several Lassa vaccines are now in testing in people. CEPI is leading the charge of investment against Lassa fever, supporting the first-ever vaccine candidate, developed by IAVI and supported by CEPI, to reach mid-stage Phase II trials which is now under investigation in Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone. A CEPI-backed Lassa vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford also entered the clinic last month.

With this promising vaccine progress, the roadmap considers the next steps needed to enable access to a future vaccine against five key objectives:

1. Timely vaccine availability and accessibility
2. Vaccine supply meeting expected demand
3. Regulatory and policy considerations
4. Procurement and funding of affordable vaccines for those who need it most
5. Sustainable implementation for uninterrupted vaccine access

Proposed next steps, named ‘interventions’ in the roadmap, are suggested for each objective, alongside suggestions for which regional or global partner should lead on them. For example, the roadmap proposes CEPI, WAHO and countries lead on the creation of a dashboard to monitor country-level readiness for Lassa fever vaccines. Elsewhere, the document notes that the partner who will drive the allocation for a licensed Lassa vaccine stockpile still needs to be identified. 

Future planning

Over the coming years, the document will be refined as new Lassa fever research becomes available. It will also be updated as vaccines reach later stages of testing and partners share new inputs and commitments. CEPI and WAHO also intend to convene a steering group to monitor progress against the objectives and interventions identified.

For now, the roadmap is an important mechanism to bring partners together across West Africa and the world to align priorities, roles and actions. 

“This instrumental roadmap is a nod to the famous adage ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’” says Emma Wheatley. “In our role as an epidemic preparedness catalyst, we have brought together experts across science, policy and partnerships to drive forward progress against this debilitating disease.”

“In doing so, we have created an invaluable resource that will also serve as a blueprint for how we ensure equitable access to vaccines developed against other epidemic and pandemic threats that face similar challenges.”