A vaccine against Ebola: Problems and opportunities

Abstract

The unprecedented dimensions of the 2014 Ebola epidemic which ravaged 3 West African countries have challenged public health response capacity and urged the availability of safe and effective vaccines. In this context, vectored vaccines already tested in animal models have undergone phase 1 studies in human beings and are now ready for efficacy evaluation in large scale trials. Health care workers and other frontline caregivers are likely to be the target population for both vaccine trials and vaccination campaigns. However, methodological and ethical issues should be considered in plans concerning the conduction of clinical trials and the possible use of licensed vaccines against Ebola.

Keywords:

• Ebola
• ethics
• epidemiology
• study design
• vectored vaccine

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.