Is the Ebola vaccination a live virus?

23 December 2016 | GENEVA - An experimental Ebola vaccine was highly protective against the deadly virus in a major trial in Guinea, according to results published today in The Lancet. read more

All the Ebola vaccines are engineered viruses. That means that they've been genetically modified, generally in two different ways: First, they have genes removed or damaged so that they are weakened and can't even cause the very mild disease that they normally might; and second, to add in antigens from Ebola vaccine. read more

This candidate vaccine was being tested in people living in Guinea and is based on an animal virus that primarily affects rodents, cattle, swine and horses. One gene of that virus, however, was replaced with a segment of the gene for the outer protein of an Ebola virus species. read more

Analysis of Ebola cases occurring 10 days after receiving the vaccine was done to account for the incubation period the Ebola virus. Ebola vaccine side effects and adverse reactions To assess safety of the vaccine, individuals who were vaccinated were observed for 30 minutes after vaccination in at-home visits on days three, 14, 21, 42, 63, and 84. read more