The new Ebola vaccine is 100% effective

The experimental Ebola vaccine is 100% effective, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed today.

The vaccine, called rVSV-ZEBOV, was tested in a trial involving 11,841 people in Guinea during 2015.

Among the 5,837 participants who received the vaccine, no cases of Ebola were reported ten days after vaccination, while there were 23 cases. ten days or more after vaccination among those who did not receive the vaccine.

"Although these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during the West African Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak occurs, we will not be helpless," said study lead author Marie-Paule. Kieny, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, in a statement. The trial was led by the WHO, together with the Guinean Ministry of Health and other international partners.