Experimental Ebola vaccine could stop virus in West Africa

The WHO described the vaccine as “highly effective” in the review by an independent body of worldwide experts.

There had been high hopes that this vaccine, called rVSV-ZEBOV, would be effective.

None of the vaccinated group caught the virus, according to study results published in The Lancet medical journal.

The vaccine was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada and licensed to NewLink Genetics Corp.

That this one did is a coup.

The incidence of new cases has waned this year, raising the prospect that some clinical trials already under way won’t provide definitive results about whether the experimental vaccines and therapies are safe and effective. This is actually the way the scientists who designed the vaccine intended for it to be used.

When Ebola broke out in a village, researchers vaccinated all the contacts of the sick person.

The results of the trials involved 4,000 people. Others were told they would be vaccinated after a delay of three weeks. Among the 2,014 people who received the drug immediately, no cases of Ebola were reported, starting 10 days after the initial vaccination, which is the time period needed to develop immunity.

The same pattern – a complete drop off in cases – was seen later when the people in the delayed rings were given the vaccine.

It’s expected to bring the west African epidemic to an end. This week the WHO announced that to date there have been almost 28,000 cases and almost 11,300 deaths.

LONDON (AP) — The United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response is officially winding down Friday, handing its leadership role and senior staff to the Geneva-based World Health Organization as efforts to contain the deadly virus continue. He added, “The study did provide strong evidence supporting vaccine efficacy”.