“We need a system of specialists, medical experts and organisers that maintains vigilance against outbreak diseases like Ebola. “We should continue to improve ways to make, evaluate and deliver vaccines when they are needed, often in parts of the world lacking in infrastructure for diagnosing infections and providing treatments.” He explained that considering the persistent replication of the vaccine which is called rVSV-ΔGP-ZEBOV in children and adolescents, further studies investigating lower doses in this population are warranted. The vaccine contains a non-infectious portion of a gene from the Zaire Ebola virus. The St George’s researchers worked with colleagues on a vaccine trial in Gabon. In addition, lower vaccine doses should be considered when boosting individuals with pre-existing antibodies to Ebolavirus glycoprotein, a finding that has emerged after the vaccine was tested in a country that has experienced Ebolavirus outbreaks in the past.

The vaccine was one of two being examined as a ‘candidate’ option by the World Health Organisation to identify urgently a vaccine to combat the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa. The clinical trial was led by colleagues at University of Tübingen in Germany, coordinated by Professor Peter Kremsner with their partner institute CERMEL in Lambaréné, Gabon. Professor Krishna was among a consortium of experts called VEBCON convened by the WHO in August 2014 in Geneva to discuss solutions and strategies for combatting the EVD crisis. He acted as a scientific advisor to the new studies in Gabon, He is also affiliated with the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Tübingen and has carried out collaborative work for many years in Lambaréné.