Ebola vaccine, medical debate

Scientists are in a race against time to develop an effective Ebola vaccine, and that has caused a new medical debate about whether the vaccine should be given as one dose or two doses. Providing the Ebola vaccine in a single shot could be much easier and far less complicated than a vaccine which requires two shots, but the two shot method may be more effective and provide greater protection overall. The medical debate has professionals on both sides, and scientists and medical professionals are working together to determine which method to use. Ebola is a deadly virus that can kill between 60% and 90% of the individuals infected, depending on the specific strain of the virus involved. More than 6,000 people in South Africa have died so far this year from Ebola, and the virus has managed to spread to many other countries as well.

One of the top priorities with any Ebola vaccine is to get the drug to the affected areas as soon as possible, and this complicates the medical debate over the number of shots to use with any vaccine program. A program that requires two shots will be more difficult to implement and would take longer to go into effect, but the added protection from the second shot may make this the best method in spite of the drawbacks. Ebola cases in South Africa have started to taper, and this is good news but it also complicates any Ebola vaccine trials because new cases of the virus are declining. This has allowed scientists and medical professionals to consider the prime-boost double shot method over the single shot dose.