Md. Hospital Part Of Group Attempting To Create Ebola Vaccine
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A third U.S. doctor who contracted the deadly Ebola virus in Liberia will be treated at a special hospital in Nebraska. More than 1,900 people have died in the outbreak in West Africa.
Meghan McCorkell reports now a Maryland hospital is part of the race against time to create a vaccine with trials right here in the state.
Officials with the CDC warn time is running out to control the spread of Ebola. Now doctors are trying to fast track a vaccine.
Dr. Rick Sacra, a U.S. Obstetrician working in Liberia, is the latest American to contract the deadly Ebola virus.
He was working in the same clinic as Dr.Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol who were both flown to the U.S. for treatment.
"There were many times when I thought, I don't think I'm going to make it anymore," Writebol said in her first statement since being declared Ebola free.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is spreading faster than doctors can treat it.
"It's spiraling out of control. It's bad now. It's going to get worse," said CDC Director Tom Frieden.
Now doctors at the Maryland School Of Medicine are part of an international team racing to develop vaccine for Ebola.
Speaking to WJZ via Skype from an emergency Ebola meeting at the World Health Organization In Geneva, Dr. Myron Levine said 10 percent of those dying are healthcare workers.
"Health workers, doctors, nurses, auxiliaries, all sorts of support staff.They do not want to come to work because of exposure to Ebola," said Levine.
He is part of a team that will test two new Ebola vaccines on healthy people. Here in Maryland and over in the U.K. in hopes they can be used in clinical trials in Africa.
Those trials are moving at an unprecedented speed.
"Every domino is being made to fall to the next domino at the short possible interval," said Levine.
Time is of the essence as the death toll from the Ebola outbreak continues to climb.
If approved, the trial vaccine could be given to volunteers within the next few weeks.
The U.S agency for international development announced it will donate $75 million to fund 1,000 more beds in Ebola treatment centers in Liberia.
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