Ebola outbreaks across the globe have swept the media so hard that people are panicking about the possibility of future outbreaks that could spread and continue to kill masses of population in various countries around the world. The cause for concern has fueled medical research teams to try to develop vaccines against the disease more quickly, which is highly lethal if not treated.
One recent vaccine that has been produced and tested on a larger scale in the West-African nation of Guinea is showing promise as a possible defender and cure for the Ebola virus. The vaccine has been deemed "highly effective" and is currently being injected into many Ebola victims on a large scale.
"This is an extremely promising development," Dr. Margaret Chan, the director-general of the events told CNN. "The credit goes to the Guinean government, the people living in the communities and our partners in this project. An effective vaccine will be another very important tool for both current and future Ebola outbreaks."
Although the vaccine is still in its beginning testing stages and is very young in development, current trials of said vaccine seem to provide satisfying results. Further testing will give researchers the information they need to decide if the vaccine is safe for everyone, such as long-term side effects that may arise in the future.
The vaccine is not only being given to trial participants, but also to healthcare workers in Guinea that are dealing with patients that have the Ebola virus. This helps keep the workers safe from coming down with Ebola in their working conditions.
For what it's worth, this is a pretty big deal. Ebola has claimed the lives of more than 11,000 people in the West African nations of Guinea, Libera, and Sierra Leone since last year, while almost 30,000 people are reported to have come down with Ebola in those nations since last year.
Current testing of the vaccine is continuing to bring this number down significantly, and that's a good thing, but since more research is needed to ensure the safety of the preliminary vaccine, researchers are still on their toes and monitoring the situation carefully.
At least it's a step forward in the right direction, and perhaps we're closer than we think to a breakthrough vaccine that could save thousands of lives.
Source: CNN, The Guardian
