Ebola vaccine trials to begin in west Africa as disease reaches ‘turning point’

Two long-awaited studies of experimental Ebola vaccines are due to begin in West Africa within weeks, according to U.S. officials. The first study will compare the vaccines against dummy shots to determine if the drugs protect against the disease, which has claimed more than 8,600 lives. The second study of one of the vaccines is being planned for Sierra Leone. It comes as new infections of Ebola are found to be falling, making it more difficult for researchers to determine if a vaccine is effective.

Unless you extinguish the very last case, it’s not over until it’s over.

Dr Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health

He said up to 27,000 people could ultimately be enrolled in the larger year-long Liberian study, beginning with about 600 people. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is working with the government of Sierra Leone to design the second study. The World Health Organisation says the Ebola epidemic has infected more than 21,000 people. Ruth Atkins was the first volunteer to be injected with an experimental drug in the first phase of a trial in Liberia. There are signs the epidemic may have reached a turning point, with cases falling in all three of the worst hit countries. Last week there were fewer than 150 cases reported with Sierra Leone accounting for most of them - 117 in total. At the peak in December the country was reporting 550 cases a week. Last week it reported 184 cases, and the week before 248.

I think the fact they are trialling it out now in infected countries is one step nearer to them saying we’ve got the right vaccine and can now start vaccinating people.

Ruth Atkins was the first volunteer to be injected