CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center is part of the international effort to stop the Ebola virus, according to spokesperson Nick Miller.
A trial of two experimental vaccines is now in its first phase at Cincinnati Children’s. The local hospital is one of nine Vaccine and Treatment Units funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The trial will test the safety of the vaccine and their ability “to produce an immune response in healthy volunteer participants.”
There have been several Ebola outbreaks since 2013. The epidemic in West Africa led to more than 11,000 deaths and spread to several countries around the world.
WATCH: Learn more about the fight to stop Ebola
“Researchers are looking for new ways to stop these outbreaks and to treat people who become infected and develop Ebola virus disease,” said Paul Spearman, MD, of Cincinnati Children’s and lead investigator of the trial. “The development of preventive vaccines for Ebola is a top global public health priority.”
Once a person is infected with an Ebola virus, it can be spread from person to person. The fatality rate ranges from 30 to 90 percent, according to Cincinnati Children’s.
The current study will evaluate two experimental vaccines; the ChAd3-EBO-Z vaccine and the MVA-BN-Filo vaccine. Previous research shows that the two together generate “potentially protective anti-Ebola responses.”
Cincinnati Children’s researchers are looking for up to 60 healthy volunteers, ages 18 to 45, to enroll in the trial. The volunteers will be split into three groups and assigned one of three combinations of the vaccines, which may include a placebo. Volunteers are needed for about seven months and will be monitored for adverse effects for six months after their first vaccination.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the study should call 513-636-7699 or click here for more information.
