A new and powerful weapon has emerged in the medical world against yellow fever. According to a recently completed medical study, the new vaccine ‘vYF’ developed by the renowned pharmaceutical company Sanofi has proven to be equal in performance and protection to the currently used vaccine ‘YF-VAX’. This development comes at a time when 29,000 to 60,000 deaths from this deadly virus are recorded globally each year.
In the past, during outbreaks of yellow fever in Central Africa and Brazil, a severe shortage in global vaccine supply was observed, forcing medical experts to use fractional doses. Since there is no specific antiviral treatment available for this virus, vaccination remains the only defense. The new vaccine ‘vYF’ has been developed using ‘Vero cells’ instead of traditional methods, which will enable large scale and faster production.
In this clinical trial, 485 healthy individuals aged between 18 and 60 years participated. The results showed that 99.7 percent of those who received the new vaccine developed protective antibodies against the virus within 28 days, while the rate was 99.4 percent for the older vaccine. According to the study, antibody levels in both groups remained similar for up to one year, and no major side effects or adverse reactions were observed in any participant.
Medical experts say that after final approval, the ‘vYF’ vaccine will play a key role globally in overcoming vaccine shortages and controlling any potential outbreaks in the future. This vaccine will not only be affordable but its large scale availability will also make access easier in remote areas.
