MONROVIA, February 2 (LINA) - The Co-investigator on the Liberia-U.S. Clinical Research Partnership Team, Stephen Kennedy, has described as “history in the making” the clinical trial of two test vaccines in Liberia to prevent Ebola.
Kennedy noted that the vaccine is not intended to stop the current outbreak of the Ebola virus, but added that if proven effective, it will enable avert the occurrence of future outbreaks of the virus.
He made the statement at the Ministry of Information daily Ebola press conference held at the ministry in Monrovia on Monday.
Kennedy urged Liberians to be a part of this historical event by volunteering to receive sample doses of the vaccine at the newly renovated clinical research unit of the Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town where volunteers will be given detailed advice on the purpose of the study.
He assured Liberians that as a proponent of the test, he, along with other Liberian volunteers, will take the vaccine.
According to Kennedy, the vaccine study protocol has been reviewed for scientific rigors and ethics, and at the same time, is being approved by the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) and an Institutional Review Board of the U.S. National Institute of Health.
A document issued by the Liberia U.S. Joint Partnership for Clinical Research in Monrovia also quotes Liberia’s Co- Principal Investigator for the study, Fatorma Bolay, as saying that the initiative represents an important entry into the global clinical research arena for Liberia.
LINA