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Ervebo: FDA approves Ebola vaccine for first time

By Clyde Hughes
The vaccine is approved for U.S. adults and was authorized for use in Europe last month. File Photo by NIAID/UPI
The vaccine is approved for U.S. adults and was authorized for use in Europe last month. File Photo by NIAID/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for the first time a vaccine for the deadly Ebola virus.

The Ervebo vaccine protects humans from the Zaire Ebola virus, the FDA said Thursday. It's approved only for adults 18 and older.

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Though the illness is rare in the United States, some residents have come in contact with the virus through individuals from other countries or healthcare workers who have treated patients overseas.

The contagious virus is transmitted through direct contact with blood, body fluids and tissues of infected people and animals.

"While the risk of Ebola virus disease in the U.S.remains low, the U.S. government remains deeply committed to fighting devastating Ebola outbreaks in Africa, including the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo," said FDA Deputy Commissioner Anna Abram.

"Approval is an important step in our continuing efforts to fight Ebola."

Ervebo, made by Merck, was approved for use in Europe last month.

Advocates say vaccination is important because Ebola has an incubation period of between two to 21 days, potentially allowing carriers to infect others before they know they have the virus.

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