Experimental Ebola Vaccine Used On Human For First Time
Monday, March 30, 2009 at 2:10PMA few weeks ago on March 12th a scientist in Germany accidentally pricked her finger with a needle used to inject mice with the Ebola virus.
Within hours of the accidental exposure several of the scientist's colleagues held a trans-Atlantic telephone conference to try and find a way to save the scientists life.
Within 24 hours, an experimental vaccine — never before tried on humans — was on its way to Germany from a lab in Canada.
Though it is not 100 percent certain that the scientist was actually infected with the Ebola virus, she did receive the experimental vaccine. So far she does not have Ebola symptoms.
If the scientist is still healthy as of April 2nd she will be considered safe. However, if she does not become infected it will be uncertain if it was luck or the vaccine that saved her life.
NOTE: This story was brought to my attention by Catherine Mitchell of Prepared Citizens
Reader Comments