Ebola Vaccine Proves 100% Effective in Guinea Trial

BY ALLISON KOZICHAROW AND BERNICE BORN

A medical trial led by the World Health Organization (WHO) has resulted in an effective Ebola vaccine. In the trial the rVSV-ZEBOV vaccine protected all 5,837 recipients in Guinea who received it; whereas 23 people who did not take the vaccine contracted Ebola. The vaccine is now awaiting approval for wider use.

 


Read More about the Ebola Vaccine Trial

“While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa's Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenceless,” said Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, and the study’s lead author.

 

When the Ebola epidemic hit West Africa in 2014, WiRED International was among the first organizations to provide comprehensive health information and training materials on Ebola. WiRED’s Health Learning Center offers modules on Ebola for both general audiences and for health care professionals. These modules present an integrated collection of training courses to help small communities prepare for the incursion of such infectious diseases.

 

"While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa's Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenceless."
— Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny
Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation
World Health Organization

WiRED is always at the ready to release rapid response modules to address global health emergencies such as Ebola or Zika. Our free training programs provide comprehensive information while stressing prevention, vaccination and general health education as keys to protecting communities in developing areas of the world. Preparing people — helping them understand prevention — can be critical in combating any epidemic.