Groups Partner to Accelerate Ebola Vaccine

By Jonathan Springston, Associate Managing Editor, AHC Media

Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, a global public-private group that improves access to immunization, announced Jan. 20 that it had entered into an agreement with Merck to create and stockpile an Ebola vaccine by 2017.

Gavi has provided $5 million to Merck to develop the company’s rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP live attenuated Ebola Zaire vaccine and submit it for licensure by the end of next year. If approved, it would become one of the world’s first licensed Ebola vaccines and Gavi would be able to purchase the vaccine to create a stockpile.

This vaccine, first developed by scientists with the Public Health Agency of Canada, showed promise in early clinical trials last year, but experts predict the vaccine will be subject to further study and scrutiny.

The news arrives less than a week after Sierra Leone reported an Ebola-related death, reinforcing the fact the problem is far from over and the need to take action.

“The most recent Ebola-related death in Sierra Leone and the fact that we know the reservoirs of Ebola still exist, underline why we must learn lessons from the devastating impact of the crisis and ensure we are better prepared for infectious disease outbreaks,” Gavi CEO Seth Berkley said in a statement. “The world is still worryingly underprepared for potential future health threats and a change of mindset is required to ensure we invest in research and development today to protect ourselves in years to come.”

For more information about Ebola and what has happened since the 2015 outbreak, check out the November issue of Critical Care Alert.