How a vaccine turned Ebola into a preventable disease

Ten years ago, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea faced a devastating Ebola epidemic that claimed over 11,000 lives and gripped the world in fear. The 2014 outbreak was the largest since Ebola’s discovery in 1976, exposing critical gaps in global preparedness for infectious diseases. Today, the story of Ebola is no longer one of despair but of hope, thanks to the advent of a vaccine that has transformed the fight against this deadly virus. The 2014 epidemic: A turning point in global health Ebola’s impact during the West African epidemic was catastrophic, with case fatality rates ranging from 25% to 90%, depending on the response and local conditions. The virus caused severe internal bleeding, with symptoms so harrowing that infection felt like a death sentence. Yet, there were no approved drugs or vaccines available when the epidemic began. The urgency to find a solution led to groundbreaking research under unprecedented conditions. The absence...