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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : October 2, 2014 4:04 PM IST
Two vaccines that give preliminary indications of providing effective and reliable immunization against the deadly Ebola virus ravaging West Africa will not be ready for testing until next March, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Developing a vaccine usually takes time and is expensive, the WHO said.
'Even in best conditions and with the huge effort of many involved, a significant number of doses will not be available until the first quarter of 2015,' the organisation said in a statement. 'The aim is to complete, in a few months, the work that usually takes two to four years, without compromising international standards for safety and effectiveness,' the WHO said in a statement issued Wednesday.
The first of the two vaccines, cAd3-ZEBOV, is under development by GlaxoSmithKline in collaboration with the US National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases. The second one is rVSV-ZEBOV, and was developed by the Public Health Agency of Canada, although the marketing license belongs to US company NewLink Genetics. Over the past six months, Ebola has infected 6,553 people and killed 3,100 in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. The worst outbreak since the virus was discovered in 1976 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The future of Ebola treatment
With the two US aid workers being discharged from the hospital following their treatment with experimental drug ZMapp, the future of the treatment doesn t look bleak now. However, to say that ZMapp can really be a wonder drug for Ebola, one would need more evidence and human studies to be conducted among the masses to prove its efficacy. Read eight tips to prevent Ebola infection.
Staying fit might not be a defence against Ebola
If you think that healthy eating and exercise can help you fight the virus, you are mistaken here because the deadly virus can attack even the healthiest of people, multiply rapidly and wreck ones immune system. For the same reason, resorting to natural remedies or alternative cures like eating onions, bathing in salt water, drinking salt water or chewing leaves of tulsi isn t going to help. These rumours have been doing the rounds lately on various social sites, creating a panic among people rather than spreading any kind of awareness. (Read: 10 reasons that make the Ebola virus deadly for humans)
With inputs from IANS
Photo source: Getty images
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