The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that if all goes according to plan, they will be able to test its Ebola vaccine in West Africa by December this year. The announcement was given at a WHO council where Margaret Chan the head of WHO, representatives from pharmaceutical companies, medical experts as well as representatives from nations where the epidemic is most active, were present.
WHO also announced that by the following year, they will be able to mass produce the vaccine so it could be distributed to nations with the most Ebola patients.
Margaret Chan, the secretary general of WHO added that there are already around 5 different types of Ebola vaccines that have been developed by several different countries. One such vaccine was developed by the pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). Another one that was made by Canadian researchers along with the GSK drug are highly likely to be selected for human testing, according to WHO. Other vaccines made by scientists from the U.S. U.K. Switzerland, and Germany are still under development and testing.
A spokesperson for the WHO however, noted that the vaccine will not be able to solve all the problems that were brought up by the Ebola. However, she agreed that it would definitely help in preventing the epidemic from spreading any further.
Right now, a Canadian Ebola vaccine is scheduled to be tested in Geneva, Switzerland. WHO insiders announced that the results will come out in early December. Meanwhile, WHO is urging pharmaceutical companies all over the world to be equip themselves ready to mass produce the vaccine if the results come out positive.
Local governments of infected nations, NGOs and other international organizations are being called to cooperate in any way they could to fight the epidemic that is terrifying nations all over the world. Medicins Sans Frontieres (MSF) was also called by WHO to help fight the disease.
