Denis Logunov, directorof the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, reported that a new Russian vaccine stimulates an immune response and provides protection against the Bundibugyo strain, which causes the disease in Africa.
Logunov explained that the center developed prototype vaccines that proved their ability to stimulate immunity and their protective effectiveness in alternative tests using simplified viral variants, noting that these variants match well with the original virus and represent the first step towards proving the vaccine's viability.
He pointed out that continuing the work requires a fundamental decision regarding the necessity of the vaccine, and obtaining a sample of the pathogen currently spreading in Africa, stressing the center’s readiness to conduct research if Africa shows genuine interest and willingness to provide it with the necessary information.
For his part, Andrei Prodeus, chief pediatric allergist and immunologist at the Moscow Region Ministry of Health, explained the mechanism for proving the effectiveness of the new vaccine against a hard-to-reach infection, whereby an artificial model is created using a substitute virus manufactured in the laboratory.
