Ebola researcher (Photo : Reuters)
An Ebola virus vaccine trial has produced successful results and a breakthrough in the battle against major infectious diseases. An evaluation of the new drug discovered that the medication was 100 percent effective when used in particular conditions, which could result in a new vaccine.
The findings were released by the United Nations' (UN) World Health Organization (WHO). Its findings were published in The Lancet journal.
An outbreak of the virus resulted in more than 11,000 people dying in the sub-Saharan nations of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.
In December 2013 the biggest Ebola outbreak started in Guinea. Prior to that epidemic no reliable drugs or vaccines to fight the virus existed, according to The Guardian.
Medical researchers tested the VSV-EBOV vaccine on communities where the epidemic took place. They wanted to learn if it could prevent the disease's spread.
About 4,000 people in a "ring" were given the new protective meds to test its effectiveness, according to Sky News. Such people were close to the disease's victims.
The results of the trials showed that the vaccination was "highly effective." WHO now plans to roll out the medication to frontline workers, and start trials on children.
Funders of the trials called the results "remarkable." It will help in the prevention of future outbreaks of the deadly virus.
Jeremey Farrar is director of the UK's Welcome Trust, one of the trial's financial supporters. He noted that the testing should change how the global community responds to infectious disease outbreaks, and that urgency can speed up Research and Development (R&D).
