The Ebola vaccine trials conducted Wednesday showed favorable results.
The National Institute of Health conducted Ebola vaccine trials at its clinical center in Maryland. Twenty volunteers participated and the study is showing promising results.
The Ebola vaccine stock was developed by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in coordination with GlaxoSmithKline. An initial report is available online at the New England Journal of Medicine, pending further evaluation.
The Ebola vaccine contains parts of the Sudan and Zaire species, introduced through a strain that causes colds in chimpanzees, harmless to humans. The test vaccine does not contain Ebola and is not contagious.
The twenty volunteers, aged 18 to 50 were divided into two groups, received different dosages of the vaccine, and then tested after two and four weeks to determine if Ebola antibodies were developed in the blood. All of the participants showed positive results within four weeks, and the antibody level was higher in the group which received higher doses of the vaccine.
NIAID Director Anthony Fauci is optimistic about the outcome of the Ebola vaccine trials. "Based on these positive results from the first human trial of this candidate vaccine, we are continuing our accelerated plan for larger trials to determine if the vaccine is efficacious in preventing Ebola infection." (nih.gov)
Adverse effects of the trials were mild, with two participants developing a passing fever on the day of the trial. Fauci is confident the initial trial for the Ebola vaccine in Canada is a progressive step in efforts to contain the outbreak abroad.
"The unprecedented scale of the current Ebola outbreak in West Africa has intensified efforts to develop safe and effective vaccines, which may play a role in bringing this epidemic to an end and undoubtedly will be critically important in preventing future large outbreaks."
Details of the Ebola vaccine trials are available here, and the NIH also addresses initial concerns in its FAQ page.
