Study Shows Early Promise for Ebola Vaccine

Researchers may have discovered a vaccine for Ebola.

Published in The Lancet, rSV-ZEBOV is a vaccine studied in Guinea. The randomized sample found that nearly six thousand people who received the vaccine did not develop the deadly Ebola disease.

However, 50% of the human trial patients who received the vaccine did experience side effects including, muscle pain, fatigue, headaches and anaphylaxis. However, everyone recovered without any long term problems.

One of the worst outbreaks of the Ebola virus occurred in West Africa. The disease spread from Guinea, West Africa to Liberia and to Sierra Leone. From 2013 to 2016, the World Health Organization reported over 11,000 deaths. By, March of this year the director of the World Health Organization, ended the International cause for concern. However, researchers argue that the virus could still resurface.

The World Health Organization’s Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, explained that while the results are exciting, the news comes too late for those who died in the Ebola epidemic.

That being said, the Global Vaccine Alliance invested $5 million to fund the creation of 30,000 vaccines, in case the next outbreak does occur.

What is Ebola?

Ebola
Stock Photo: MAKOUA, CONGO, AFRICA – SEPTEMBER 27: A sign warns visitors that area is a Ebola infected. Signage informing visitors that it is a ebola infected area. September 27, 2013,Congo, Africa. (Sergey Uryadnikov / Shutterstock.com)

Ebola starts off like a sudden flu with symptoms of headaches, sore throat and joint pain. However, diseased patients will have a slightly higher fever followed by vomiting and diarrhea. In addition, 50% of people with the disease will develop a rash. Over time, internal and external bleeding will occur and after two weeks patients fall into a coma and die. That being said, those who do not die develop an immunity against that can last for at least years.

Two years ago, the world was on high alert after the reported spread and outbreak of the virus. By July 2014, Atlanta’s Emory Hospital had received two patients. In turn making history as the first hospital to treat someone with the disease. Emory University was one of four hospitals that had the medical equipment with the equipment to hold and treat the patients.