Canada Shipping Experimental Ebola Vaccine to Curb Outbreak
Canada will begin shipping an experimental Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organization in Geneva on Monday, the government announced Saturday, with the hope of addressing the current outbreak of the deadly virus. The effects of the vaccine in animals have been "promising," Canadian authorities said. The vaccine is just beginning to be tested on human subjects in order to determine the safety of the vaccine and the dosage required to stimulate a person's immune system into producing the proper antibodies. Canada is sending 800 vials of experimental Ebola vaccine contained at -80 degrees celsius in three separate shipments via aircraft to the WHO in Geneva. Canada's Public Health Agency is supplying it to the WHO so it can be used as an "international resource.", "This vaccine, the product of many years of scientific research and innovation, could be an important tool in curbing the outbreak," said Dr. Gregory Taylor, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada.