WHO Start of Ebola Vaccine Trial in Guinea

                                                                      Foto: abcnews.go.com                                                                                       

DP/ Jubi , - The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday (5/3) announced that the organization will begin test-Ebola vaccine in Guinea to test whether the vaccine was effective to prevent Ebola.

Phase III trial in one of the most affected countries in the world Ebola is planned to commence on March 7 to test the effectiveness and efficacy of VSV-EBOV to prevent Ebola, based on data from early clinical trials, according to the WHO.

"The goal of this experiment there are two-stage: to assess whether the vaccine can protect the contacts who were given the vaccine and whether the vaccine to contact will create a buffer-or-protected circle of people around the index case to prevent the further spread of the disease," said Interpreters UN Talk Stephane Dujarric in the daily briefings.

"If the vaccine proved to be effective, it will be the first preventive tool against Ebola in history," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan in Geneva, according to Xinhua-monitored Antara in Jakarta, Friday (6/3).

According to the WHO's recent statement about Ebola, 132 new confirmed cases have been reported in West Africa in the week to March 1, an increase from the previous week, the 99 new cases. And in Guinea, the number of confirmed cases has increased each week.

WHO said vaccination was planned to take place in the region Basse Guinee, the area currently has the highest number of cases in Guinea and proposed vaccination will also be done for front line workers in the area where the experiment took place.

"VSV-EBOV vaccine selected for the planned experiment parameters based framework developed by the intervention of the Advisory Committee of the WHO Technical and Science Experiment Ebola," the WHO said.

The organization's stated criteria include progel acceptable safety, proper induction of an immune response, including neutralizing antibodies, and the availability of an adequate supply of vaccine doses and timely.

WHO also said that vaccine makers have ensured sufficient vaccine will be available in the next few months and financial resources are available for the procurement of vaccines in the affected areas.

VSV-EBOV vaccine was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada. The vaccine was licensed for NewLink Genetics, a company that develops immune treatment. In November last year, NewLink Genetics and Merck, a healthcare company, announced their collaboration on the vaccine. (tabloidjubi.com/DP)