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          Liberian Officials Pleased With Initial Ebola Vaccine Trials

   by James Butty

   A Liberian health ministry official said the government is pleased with
   the number of people who turned out Monday to participate in the first
   human trials of two potential Ebola vaccines.

   Tolbert Nyenswah, Liberia's assistant minister of health for preventive
   services, and head of the country's Ebola response, said authorities
   were able to explain to people that the vaccines do not give people the
   deadly virus.

   He said that if the vaccine is effective, Liberia will make history by
   being the first country to help in finding a lasting solution to the
   deadly epidemic.

   "I think the first day of the trial went very well. We were able to
   explain to the Liberian people the benefits of the trial, that the
   trial vaccine cannot give you Ebola.  It is intended to provide lasting
   solutions," he said.

   Nyenswah said Liberians were also made to understand that, if the
   vaccine was effective, their country will have made a significant
   contribution to the world.

   "Liberia is making history amongst nations in the world; that is, if
   this vaccine is efficacious and effective, we can find a lasting
   solution of prevention for the Ebola virus disease that struck the
   region, Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone on a very unprecedented
   level," Nyenswah said.

   He said the trial is the result of collaboration between the Liberian
   Ministry of Health and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

   Nyenswah said the government understands the fears and suspicion of
   some Liberians about the vaccines. However, he said it was able to
   dispel rumors by providing accurate information to its citizens.

   "The speculation and the skepticism of the population are reasonable,
   but what we need to do is provide additional information to them on
   what the vaccine is about. And so we are doing this," Nyenswah said.

   He said some Liberians who volunteered to take the vaccine helped
   inform the public by taking to the airwaves to give testimonials,
   thereby helping to erase fears.

   Nyenswah said the government hopes to inoculate 600 people around
   Monrovia and an additional 27,000 around the country.

   The trial comes as the number of Ebola cases in Liberia has been
   decreasing significantly.

   Nyenswah said Liberia right now is reporting less than one new case per
   week, as compared to the first week in November 2014 where the country
   was reporting 12 cases per day.

   "This decline may cause us to move into other countries where
   transmission is still taking place to get the number that is needed to
   reach a conclusion on the trial," Nyenswah said.

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   al-ebola-vaccine-trials/2625681.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/liberian-officials-pleased-with-initial-ebola-vaccine-trials/2625681.html