Efforts To Develop Ebola Vaccine Underway But Lack Funding

News outlets report on efforts to develop vaccines and other treatments for Ebola virus, which continues to spread in West Africa.

The Atlantic: Where Does Ebola Come From?
“The worst Ebola virus outbreak ever is ravaging Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. So far, the disease has killed 670 people and infected more than 1,000, including an American doctor and aid worker…” (Khazan, 7/29).

NBC News: ‘No Market’: Scientists Struggle to Make Ebola Vaccines, Treatments
“At least four vaccines are being developed to protect people against Ebola, including one that protects monkeys completely against the deadly virus. Several groups are also working on treatments, but one of the most promising is stuck in safety testing…” (Fox, 7/29).

Scientific American: When Will We Have a Vaccine for Ebola Virus?
“…A vaccine to help battle future Ebola outbreaks may be just a few years away … But it has been hard to raise money for human safety tests. To learn about the latest advances as well as obstacles, Scientific American spoke to Thomas Geisbert, a virologist in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston…” (Sneed, 7/29).

KHOU-TV/USA TODAY: Texas lab targets Ebola virus with work on vaccine
“…[University of Texas Medical Branch Professor Thomas Geisbert’s] efforts to create an effective vaccine are funded by a $26 million National Institutes of Health grant awarded collaboratively with Profectus BioSciences, Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corp., and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center…” (Williams, 7/29).

The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.

KFF Headquarters: 185 Berry St., Suite 2000, San Francisco, CA 94107 | Phone 650-854-9400
Washington Offices and Barbara Jordan Conference Center: 1330 G Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 | Phone 202-347-5270

www.kff.org | Email Alerts: kff.org/email | facebook.com/KFF | twitter.com/kff

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news, KFF is a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, California.