Monrovia

Researchers are investigating the safety, tolerability, and immune response of the rVSV94G-LASV-GPC vaccine in adults and children living in West Africa. This Phase 2 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial builds on earlier studies that showed the vaccine was safe and triggered immune responses in animals and adults. The trial includes healthy adults, adults living with HIV, and children, aiming to expand knowledge before future effectiveness trials. Participants will receive one of two doses of the rVSV94G-LASV-GPC vaccine or a placebo. The study groups include healthy adults aged 18 to 70, HIV-infected adults aged 18 to 50, adolescents aged 12 to 17, children aged 6 to 11, and younger children aged 18 months to 5 years. The trial is randomized and triple-blinded, ensuring unbiased comparison between vaccine doses and placebo. The study monitors participants over several months to assess immune responses and vaccine shedding. During the study, participants will undergo medical evaluations, blood tests for antibody responses and vaccine presence, and monitoring for any side effects. Researchers will measure safety and tolerability up to seven months after vaccination and track immune responses and vaccine levels in blood, saliva, urine, and possibly reproductive fluids for up to 2.5 years. Participants and caregivers will complete questionnaires and attend follow-up visits as scheduled throughout the study duration.

This research aims to understand how national medical oxygen strategies work and achieve impact at both national and local levels across different countries. It focuses on health systems and policy contexts in six countries involved in the Medical Oxygen Implementation program. The study seeks to involve policymakers, implementers, and medical oxygen users to identify challenges and find potential solutions to improve access to medical oxygen. Researchers also aim to generate new data and draw lessons that can inform national and global policy and practice. The study uses a mixed-methods design with three embedded parts stakeholder analysis, policy-implementation gap analysis, and comparative country case studies. It involves interviews with key informants from government, NGOs, professional associations, private sector, and civil society. The study is conducted in six countries and will be adapted to each context through ongoing collaboration with stakeholders. The research will run for four years and includes annual meetings to refine study topics and methods. Participants will take part in in-depth interviews focusing on national medical oxygen strategies over the four-year study period. Researchers will review policies, analyze program data, and compare findings across countries. The study will monitor how strategies are translated into action and their effects on oxygen service coverage. This involves collecting qualitative and quantitative data to better understand the implementation and challenges of medical oxygen programs within different health systems.