The Most Promising Ebola Vaccine Has Been Sitting on the Shelf for 15 Years
A promising Ebola vaccine developed by virologist Thomas Geisbert has remained unused for 15 years due to a lack of funding and commercial interest. Despite its proven efficacy in primates, the vaccine has not undergone human trials even as outbreaks continue to cause deaths in Central and East Africa.
Why it matters
This highlights systemic failures in the global health infrastructure to prioritize and fund vaccines for diseases that primarily affect developing regions.
Photograph: Hajarah Nalwadda/AP Images Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Comment Loader Save Story Save this story Fever was the first symptom to grip the crab-eating macaques in their high-containment laboratory on an island off Texas after being infected with the newly discovered Bundibugyo strain of ebola . Then came the weight loss, the rectal bleeding and nosebleeds, while scientists in space suits drew blood to see how the monkeys’ immune systems struggled to fight the aggressive virus.
The report focuses on scientific and logistical challenges in vaccine deployment without political bias.
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