Ebola Virus Vaccine 2014: Development & Research News Update - Close to a Cure?

As the Ebola virus crisis continues to plague much of Africa and has seen cases in North America and Europe, many wonder if a vaccine will be ready soon that could help save the lives of those already infected. While there was hope initially that the vaccine ZMapp could possibly be the ultimate solution to the outbreak, it's supply ran out long before officials could determine its effectiveness on a large scale.  But are there any other vaccines with the potential to stop Ebola that could be ready soon?

The truth is that there are several vaccines in the works that are intended to fight or cure Ebola, and one them just began clinical trials. This particular vaccine is being made in Canada, and the country's health minister, Rona Ambrose, has already declared the initial phase has produced "promising news." The results of the initial phase are supposed to be ready by December, and if all goes well, researchers would like to start using the vaccine on a wide scale in Africa soon thereafter--if the trials are successful.

The vaccine is being developed by the Canadian National Microbiology Laboratory. Ambrose has gone so far as to state the vaccine is "100-per-cent effective," in terms of its ability to halt the spread of the virus in animals. 

The government of Canada reportedly owns the vaccine's intellectual property, and it has apparently licensed the vaccines to NewLink Genetics, an American company. Human trials of the vaccine are set to take place in Maryland, in the U.S. The laboratory conducting the tests will select a group of people who are healthy and administer the vaccine to them. Researchers will use this opportunity to ascertain the proper dosage of the vaccine and also what the side effects are.

Canadian microbiologist Jason Tetro is one of many who feel the rest of the world waited too long to begin serious pursuit of an immediate Ebola solution after the outbreak began earlier this summer.

""The fact is that we really started to be concerned about this probably four months after we should have," Tetro stated. "And it really wasn't until somebody ... appeared on North American soil with the Ebola virus that it really took off." 

Currently, there have been 8,400 cases of Ebola in this outbreak, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

While this vaccine is promising because it has been so effective in its animal trials, officials are cautioning people to temper their expectations, as there have apparently been numerous examples in history of vaccines testing well on animals and not working in humans.