The study was conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières' research unit Epicentre and is based on data from the large Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2018-2020. Nearly 2,300 people died in the epidemic.
At the same time, more than 300,000 people received a specific Ebola vaccine – individuals who had come into contact with an infected person or were at high risk of doing so. The study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, shows that the specific vaccine provided good protection against developing the disease from the tenth day after vaccination. The risk decreased by 84 percent, compared to unvaccinated individuals, writes Epicentre in a press release.
The research unit has previously shown in a study that the Ebola vaccine halves the risk of dying from the disease. Among unvaccinated patients who were admitted to a healthcare facility, the risk of death was 56 percent, among vaccinated patients 25 percent.
The Ebola virus is transmitted between humans through blood, saliva, and other bodily fluids. Approximately half of those who fall ill become severely ill.
