Ebola vaccine: first large-scale trial begins in West Africa
Liberia has received the first batch, but experts warn it may be difficult to establish its efficacy
The first large-scale trial of an experimental Ebola vaccine is to begin today in one of the West African countries worst affected by the disease, following a successful preliminary safety trial.
The batch of vaccines, developed by the British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, was transported under tight security to an unknown location in Liberia, the BBC reports. Up to 30,000 volunteers in the country are expected to be involved in the trial, with a third receiving the vaccine.
The vaccine contains a small amount of the virus which scientists hope will trigger an immune response that will protect against infection.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Stephen Kennedy, the senior Liberian scientist involved in the trials said that the vaccine posed no risk to volunteers. "It is a weak strain and it cannot and will not cause Ebola, so it is impossible that any one of the volunteers will contact Ebola from the vaccine," he said.
GlaxoSmithKline's global vaccines chief Dr Moncef Slaoui described the shipment as "a major achievement", which "shows that we remain on track" with accelerated development of the Ebola vaccine.
"The initial phase one data... are encouraging and give us confidence to progress to the next phases of clinical testing, which will involve the vaccination of thousands of volunteers, including frontline healthcare workers," he said.
The company stressed, however, that the vaccine was still in its development phase and its long-term safety and efficacy would have to be established before it could be used on a wider scale.
"Any potential future use in mass vaccination campaigns will depend on whether the World Health Organization (WHO) regulators and other stakeholders are satisfied... and how quickly large quantities... can be made," said Slaoui.
Last month, the WHO said that the outbreak in West Africa had reached a turning point, as the number of new infections continued to decline, but warned against complacency in the fight to eradicate the disease entirely.
Paradoxically, this encouraging news may have a negative impact on the vaccine trial. "Because case numbers are starting to come down, it will become harder and harder to show if the vaccine is having any impact," Professor Jonathan Ball, a virus expert based at Nottingham University, told the BBC.
There is currently no proven vaccine or cure for Ebola and the unprecedented scale of the outbreak prompted governments, pharmaceutical companies and international health organisations to fast track the development of safe and effective treatments.
There are several other promising vaccines and treatments currently in development, with reports that the experimental drug zMapp, which was given to several Western healthcare workers who later recovered, will be trialled in the coming weeks.
The deadliest Ebola outbreak in history has so far claimed at least 8,641 lives and almost 22,000 people have been confirmed infected, although that number is expected to be much higher in reality.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The hunt for Planet Nine
Under The Radar Researchers seeking the elusive Earth-like planet beyond Neptune are narrowing down their search
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine interactive crossword - April 26, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - April 26, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine solutions - April 26, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - April 26, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How happy is Finland really?
Today's Big Question Nordic nation tops global happiness survey for seventh year in a row with 'focus on contentment over joy'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How Tehran became the world's nose job capital
Under the radar Iranian doctors raise alarm over low costs, weak regulation and online influence of 'Western beauty standards'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Africa's renewed battle against female genital mutilation
Under the radar Campaigners call for ban in Sierra Leone after deaths of three girls as coast-to-coast convoy prepares to depart
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Argentina: the therapy capital of the world
Under the radar Buenos Aires natives go hungry to pay for psychoanalysis, amid growing instability, anxiety – and societal acceptance
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Does declining birth rate spell doom for Britain?
Today's Big Question Ageing population puts pressure on welfare state, economy and fabric of society, while fertility is rising on populist agendas
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
How a new blood test could revolutionise sepsis diagnosis
The Explainer Early results from ongoing trial suggest faster identification of deadly condition is possible
By The Week Staff Published
-
Kush: the drug destroying young lives in West Africa
The Explainer There has been a sharp rise in young addicts in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia
By Flora Neville, The Week UK Published