The researchers said, based on their findings, a Zika vaccine for humans “will likely be readily achievable”.
Researchers tested two trial vaccines, a DNA vaccine and an inactivated virus vaccine, in mice.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Zika virus vaccine protection in an animal model,” Dr Dan Barouch from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School said.
“We need to be cautious about extrapolating the results from mice to humans,” he said.
“But based on the robustness of the protection, the demonstration that antibodies protect and the similarity with other related viruses… these findings certainly raise optimism that the development of a safe and effective vaccine against Zika virus against humans may be successful.”
Dr Barouch said human clinical trials of the vaccine should start as soon as possible.
The vaccinated animals showed no evidence of active virus after being infected with the Zika virus and both vaccines were safe as well as effective… Read More>>
Source: ABC
