WHO chief praises Guineans for help with Ebola vaccine

CONAKRY, Guinea – The head of the World Health Organization is praising Guineans for their role in helping to develop a vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus.

On a visit to the country where the world’s deadliest Ebola outbreak emerged in 2013, Dr. Margaret Chan said Guineans had “fought back” by helping scientists.

There is no licensed treatment for Ebola, and the outbreak killed more than 11,300 people. Researchers began testing the vaccine as the outbreak was waning.

WHO, which has acknowledged shortcomings in its response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, led the study of the vaccine.

The vaccine was developed by the Canadian government and is now licensed to the U.S.-based Merck & Co.

Chan says the vaccine’s impact will be significant even if supplies initially are limited.