The vaccine against Ebola serves to prevent the development of the Ebola virus in the body, preventing the disease and having potential to help in controlling possible epidemics of the disease.
The commercial name of the vaccine is VSV-ZEBOV and in its composition it has a virus modified to display on its surface a protein that is found in the Ebola virus to stimulate the body's immune system to produce specific antibodies.
How Ebola Vaccine Works
The vaccine against Ebola has in its composition the vesicular stomatitis virus modified to display on its surface a protein that is found in the Ebola virus. This is a live vaccine because the virus present in it is active, and it stimulates the body's immune system to produce antibodies that fight the Ebola virus.
Is this vaccine dangerous?
The vaccine against Ebola is not dangerous, because although the virus is "alive" it is attenuated, and there is no risk of whoever takes the vaccine to get the disease. In addition, this vaccine is made up of a virus that can not be inserted into human DNA.
Vaccine side effects
In some people, this vaccine can cause some symptoms similar to a cold, such as general malaise, headache, body aches or fever for example, than for between 2 to 4 days.
These symptoms can be easily treated with Paracetamol, however this remedy should only be taken under the advice of the doctor.
This vaccine is only used to prevent the disease and is not indicated for its treatment. In these cases, the doctor will recommend treatment with ZMapp, an antiviral medicine that fights and eliminates the virus from the body. Also, it is always very important to protect yourself from the disease, so see What to do not to catch Ebola.
