Vaccine group announces creation of Ebola vaccine stockpile

vaccine alliance GAVI anunced it would invest $178 million to create a global stockpile of about 500,000 Ebola vaccines, a move health officials say could help prevent future outbreaks from spiraling out of control.

GAVI is a public-private partnership that includes World Health Organization, UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Bank, among ors. funding anuncement was me Thursday after a meeting of GAVI’s board in New Delhi.

Since latest outbreak in Congo was identified last August, health officials have immunized more than 255, 000 people with a recently licensed vaccine me by Merck.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, chair of Gavi’s board, called creation of Ebola vaccine stockpile a “historic milestone in humanity’s fight against this horrific disease.”