Promising Russian Ebola Vaccine Could Be Ready for 2016

GENEVA, January 25 (Sputnik) — A Russian-made vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus can be made available for mass use in early 2016, Marina Shevyreva, head of the human well-being, science and research department at Russia’s Health Ministry said Sunday.

“At the end of 2015 we will have the final results of the tests of our vaccine. Then, it is necessary to obtain additional documents to allow it to be used on humans. It must first be registered in Russia, which also takes some time. We hope that the vaccine will be ready for mass use by early 2016,” Shevyreva told a RIA Novosti correspondent.

Shevyreva noted that pre-clinical trials of the vaccine are currently underway.

According to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) National Influenza Centre of Russia, Oleg Kiselev, Russia is expected to report to the WHO in early March that the Ebola vaccine is ready to be tested on humans. After this, the WHO will have to announce its recommendations and appoint a country where further research will be conducted, Kiselev told RIA Novosti.

No vaccines against Ebola are currently licensed for use on humans, though clinical trials of two vaccine candidates are underway.

Several countries have intensified their efforts to find a vaccine against the deadly virus after the beginning of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa last year, which has claimed the lives of more than 8,600 people, according to the latest WHO estimates.