The resignation of Congo's health minister in the midst of the country's worst Ebola outbreak could clear the way for a second experimental ...
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo: The resignation of Congo's health minister in the midst of the country's worst Ebola outbreak could clear the way for a second experimental vaccine to be deployed. But the new shot would likely take months to win the trust of frightened locals and show results, health officials say.
But Ilunga said the J&J vaccine had not been proven effective and could confuse people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where wild rumours are hampering the response. In his resignation letter, he said advocates had shown a"lack of ethics by ... hiding important information from medical authorities", but gave no details.
"I don't think that a vaccine is what's holding back the response," he told Reuters, noting that previous Ebola outbreaks had been contained quickly without a vaccine.The nearly year-long outbreak has infected more than 2,500 people and killed more than 1,700, numbers topped only by a 2014-16 outbreak in West Africa that killed more than 11,300.
All are still unlicensed, which means they can only be used in clinical trials overseen by Congo's health ministry."It is not ethical to test vaccines on people," said Matina Mwanack, the administrator of an advocacy group in the eastern Congo city of Butembo called Families United Against Ebola. "Both vaccines should work hand in hand," said Peter Piot, director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and one of the scientists who first discovered the Ebola virus.
"The goal is to give a long-term safe profile for people who may never be exposed to Ebola," said Paul Stoffels, J&J's chief scientific officer, adding that 1.5 million doses were available.
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