A recent press release stated that UNICEF, WHO, IFRC and MSF – the four leading international health and humanitarian organizations, have announced the establishment of a global Ebola vaccine stockpile to ensure outbreak response.

The effort was led by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision; the financial support is provided by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The stockpile will help countries to control future epidemics of Ebola by ensuring timely access to vaccines for populations at risk. The Ebola vaccine was licensed by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in November 2019, and is prequalified by the WHO. It is licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), and in eight countries in Africa.

This vaccine is recommended by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunization for use in Ebola outbreaks, as part of a broader set of Ebola outbreak response tools, protects against the Zaire ebolavirus species – the most commonly known causative agent for outbreaks. UNICEF manages the stockpile on behalf of the ICG, which will be the decision-making body for its allocation and release.

Source: Press Release. unicef.org. NEW YORK/ GENEVA, 12 JANUARY 2021