According to the WHO, a million vaccines could soon be available in West Africa. The Organization speaks of 200,000 doses available at the end of the first half of the year, reaching one million at the end of 2015.
Tests on vaccines against Ebola will be carried out “if possible” next December in West Africa, said on Friday in Geneva Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, deputy director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO).
During a press conference, Dr Marie-Paule Kieny also added that hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses (200,000) are planned for Africa by the end of the first half of 2015. They could reach one million at the end of 2015.
Tests already underway
As a reminder, tests on two other vaccines are already underway in the United States, Great Britain and Mali, added the French scientist, and others should begin soon, particularly in Switzerland and Germany.
In addition, Dr Kieny indicated that research was underway for five more vaccines, and could yield results in the first months of 2015.
And in an attempt to reassure skeptics about the safety of the Ebola vaccination, Dr Kieny said that she herself volunteered to test an Ebola vaccine, “as a sign of solidarity with the many health workers, affected by the infection and who lost their lives. “
Vaccines: MSF calls for priority for caregivers
In a reaction published on Friday, the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) association called for health workers to be concerned as a priority with vaccines and treatments against Ebola.
“Plans to obtain vaccines and treatment for exposed health workers must be implemented quickly, significant investments are needed to speed up this process,” MSF said in a statement.
According to Dr Bertrand Draguez, MSF medical director, “urgent action is now needed to ensure that what has been promised is delivered to West Africa as quickly as possible. “
As a reminder, according to the latest WHO report (stopped on October 19), the bar of 10,000 cases has almost been reached. 4,877 people have already been killed by the virus, out of the 9,936 cases recorded. A figure that the organization considers to be lower than the reality. According to the WHO we would miss 60% of cases. The three countries most affected by the epidemic remain Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea.
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