The Canadian Public Health Agency has said it will release 1000 dose of an experimental Ebola virus vaccine known as VSV-EBOV made in Canada and which has never been used on human being, but has shown a good result in the treatment of the virus in animals.
The Canadian Health Minister, Rona Ambrose said in a statement released yesterday, August 12th that the World Health Organization’s Director General, Margaret Chan, has approved of the donation.
The Minister also made it known that Canada will be donating to the World Health Organization, the sum of $185,000 for the prevention and control of the virus in Africa. Canada has only 1500 of the experimental vaccine and would be sending 1000 of it to Africa.
Chan said, “I was pleased to offer the experimental vaccine developed by Canadian researchers as a global resource to help fight this outbreak, 800 and 1,000 doses would be donated to the WHO ,
“Canada feels this experimental vaccine is a global resource, so in response we are sharing it with the international community, while keeping a small supply in Canada.” The Minister added.
The news comes hours after the World Health Organization said a panel of professionals advised that it would be ethical to use untested drugs and vaccines in the Ebola epidemic, which is several times larger than any previous outbreak.
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