Listeners will no doubt remember the devastating Ebola outbreak of 2014–2016. More than 28,600 people were infected, and 11,325 people died across several countries in West Africa. One of the hardest-hit places was Sierra Leone, where nearly 4,000 people lost their lives.
In the years since, scientists and civil society advocates have raced to develop and implement a vaccine to protect against future outbreaks. That vaccine works—and works well. It was tested during outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is now being deployed proactively to protect at-risk populations, including frontline health workers. This includes Sierra Leone, where the vaccine is being rolled out to 20,000 frontline workers so they can protect their communities and the world from the next outbreak.
My guest today, Allyson Russell, is at the forefront of these efforts. She is the Senior Programme Manager for Outbreaks & Global Health Security, Vaccine Programs at GAVI—the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization—which is supporting the rollout of this vaccine in Sierra Leone. We begin by discussing the toll the 2014 outbreak inflicted on the region before diving into how this new Ebola vaccine will help prevent the next outbreak from spreading.
The full episode is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts