News Digest

Ebola vaccine set for trial in Africa in December as virus spreads to Mali

The World Health Organisation says it expects 100,000 doses of new Ebola vaccine to be available early next year and trials could start in west Africa as early as December - as the first case of the virus was confirmed in Mali. WHO assistant director general Marie-Paule Kieny said the vaccines could be available in the “first half” of 2015, adding: “Before the end of first half of 2015…we could have available a few hundred thousand doses. That could be 200,000 - it could be less or could be more.” Kieny was speaking after WHO held talks on potential vaccines with health experts, officials from Ebola-affected nations and pharmaceutical firms.

Before the end of first half of 2015…we could have available a few hundred thousand doses. That could be 200,000 - it could be less or could be more.

WHO assistant director general Marie-Paule Kieny

There is currently no proven vaccine against the deadly virus and drug companies have previously avoided investing too heavily in a cure because outbreaks before this year’s had been small. West Africa’s Ebola outbreak began in March and has killed more than 4,500 people, most of them in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, according to the WHO but today’s news from Mali is bound to cause more concern in the region. Two leading vaccine contenders are already in trials, with another five to begin trials next year. US firm Johnson & Johnson have already said they aim to produce at least one million doses of their vaccine next year and UK-based GlaxoSmithKiline is also working on a vaccine called ChAd3.

Vaccine is not the magic bullet, but when ready, it may be a good part of the effort to turn the tide of the epidemic.

GSK’s chief executive Sir Andrew Witty