Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Breakthrough Ebola Vaccination Provides 100% Protection Against Disease
The New York Times: New Ebola Vaccine Gives 100 Percent Protection
In a scientific triumph that will change the way the world fights a terrifying killer, an experimental Ebola vaccine tested on humans in the waning days of the West African epidemic has been shown to provide 100 percent protection against the lethal disease. The vaccine has not yet been approved by any regulatory authority, but it is considered so effective that an emergency stockpile of 300,000 doses has already been created for use should an outbreak flare up again. (McNeil, 12/22)
The Washington Post: Ebola Vaccine Shown To Be ‘Highly Protective’ Against Deadly Virus In Major Trial
“While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa’s Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenseless,” Marie-Paule Kieny, the study's lead author and WHO assistant director general for health systems, said in announcing the results. When preliminary findings were unveiled in July 2015, WHO Director General Margaret Chan called the vaccine a potential “game-changer.” (Cha, 12/22)
