Ebola Vaccination Effort Underway At UMd. School Of Medicine
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A desperate race to stop the Ebola outbreak is underway. Some of that life-saving work is being done right here in Baltimore. Local volunteers got trial vaccines at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Rick Ritter explains how it works.
Researchers at the school of medicine tell WJZ the vaccine is moving along quicker than any other they've ever worked on. They're hoping it proves to be enough to protect humans before the deadly virus takes yet another life.
The race is on. When it comes to fighting Ebola, every second is crucial as the deadly virus continues to kill thousands.
"There continue to be more and more cases in West Africa. And among those cases, lots of deaths," said Dr. James Campbell, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Video shows the second Ebola vaccine trial led by the University of Maryland's School of Medicine. One after the other, nurses vaccinate 20 volunteers.
"We are all working so hard to make this happen," Dr. Campbell said.
He says the vaccine tricks the humane immune system to think Ebola is there when it's not, clearing up answers they're desperate for regarding safety issues.
Doctors say the trial will provide critical information about whether the vaccine is well tolerated by healthy adults across the U.S.
Just days ago, the deadly virus took the life of Dr. Martina Salia, a Maryland man and surgeon who was working in Sierra Leone--an Ebola hot bed in West Africa. His family--left devastated.
"It's amazing for somebody to be bold enough to go back and give back to their community. And the ultimate price is you lose your life," said Salia's son.
With an efficient vaccine, Salia might still be alive.
Researchers say what they're testing proved to be 100 percent effective with animals. They're hoping to have similar success on humans and provide the entire world with another layer of protection against the lethal virus.
It's important to note that NIH developed the vaccine. Preliminary results from the tests are expected back in four to eight weeks.
Researchers will track the subjects for a year and then expand the test to thousands of people in Africa, where the threat of Ebola is real.
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