Why existing vaccines won’t help this Ebola outbreak
The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo involves a rare virus strain for which no approved vaccines exist. Scientists are struggling to adapt previous vaccine technologies that were developed for the more common Zaire species.
Why it matters
Highlights the ongoing challenges in global health security and the limitations of current medical countermeasures against rare viral threats.
A patient prepares to have blood drawn for a test during the Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The current epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, one of several viruses that can cause Ebola disease, and for which there are no approved vaccines. Michel Lunanga, Getty Images The first Ebola vaccine wasn’t developed because of an outbreak.
The article relies on scientific context and historical data to explain the current medical situation.
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