University Of Ibadan To Produce Ebola Vaccines

Professor Isaac Adewole, the Vice chancellor, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, has hinted that the institution has set up a Committee on Ebola Prevention and Preparedness, to try and produce Ebola vaccine.

 Vice chancellor, while speaking at a town hall meeting in Ibadan, further revealed that the institution’s virology laboratory would be expanded and make sure it produce a vaccine that could be used to prevent Ebola.

Professor Adewole said the university had concluded plans to spearhead Ebola vaccine production, and advised residents to dispel their fears as they would be adequately equipped with necessary information about the virus.

He urged the federal government to investigate the allegation that the late Patrick Sawyer was paid to import the virus to Nigeria, and cautioned people against handshake. He also advised the public to avoid sick people as Ebola virus spreads quickly through body fluids of infected persons.

Speaking also at the town hall meeting, Professor David Olaleye, a virologist and head, UI Ebola Viral Disease Prevention and Preparedness Committee, reiterated the need for good hygiene, and pleaded with that people to avoid contact with dead animals.

Meanwhile, it is not yet known if the outcome of their research would be widely accepted as it would be recalled that on August 19, 2014, one Dr. Rima Laibow, Managing Director of US-based company Natural Solutions Foundation claimed that Nano Silver has been deployed by her team of scientists during treatment of Ebola patients in Africa before the current epidemic outbreak, but surprisingly on August 21, 2014, the same company confirmed that the said drug was not a cure for the deadly disease.

-naij