Rift Valley fever MP-12 vaccine elicits an early protective immune response in mice

•Development of an effective veterinary and human vaccine for RVF disease remains a high priority.•RVFV MP-12 is a promising vaccine candidate for preventing RVF in humans and domestic ruminants.•Adult mice vaccinated with one dose of the MP-12 vaccine was protected from lethal challenge by RVFV on days 2 through 7 post vaccination.•The rapid protective immune response implied that animals could be vaccinated and protected very early during RVFV outbreaks.•Overall, the findings supported the effectiveness of the MP-12 vaccine candidate for preventing RVF among humans and domestic ruminants.