There is a new Ebola vaccine

by Emma Chidiogo

The US National Institute of Health has said that a new vaccine for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has been developed that can keep humans protected from the virus for as long as 10 months.

The vaccine which had already been tested on Monkeys for a couple of months, uses a genetically modified chimp virus containing components of two species of Ebola – Zaire, and the common

Sudan species. Since the viral vaccine does not replicate inside the body, it is hoped that the immune system gets to react to the Ebola component of the vaccine and develop anti-body.

Speaking on the new vaccine, Dr Anthony Fauci, Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told the BBC; “The good part of this vaccine is that at five weeks or earlier, you get full protection. “The sobering news is the durability isn’t great, but if you give a boost, a second shot, you make it really durable.”

Fauci revealed that administration of the vaccine will be prioritised based on healthcare providers and other front-line staff.

The human trial of the vaccine is expected to be extended to West Africa soon, where over 3000 cases of the EVD virus has been reported with more than 2000 people killed. Nigeria accounts for eight deaths, Liberia-1,089, Guinea -517 and Sierra Leone-491.