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Doctors and scientists plan to distribute an experimental vaccine to both humans and apes in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Vaccinating chimpanzees and gorillas from Ebola represents a vital step in the push to save these endangered species. However, there’s more that we can do.
Doctors and scientists plan to distribute an experimental vaccine to both humans and apes in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Vaccinating chimpanzees and gorillas from Ebola represents a vital step in the push to save these endangered species. However, there’s more that we can do.
Humans, after all, are apes - specifically, great apes - by definition. Homo sapiens are one of the species of the taxonomic family Hominidae, otherwise known as the great apes.
Of course, some people have a meltdown at the very thought of humans being apes (I'm not saying the OP is one of them) but their ignorance and/or intense dislike of the realities of basic biology is irrelevant.
They do human clinical trials for every new drug before it can get approved, it's required. including vaccines. How would you suggest they go about it? or should they just not try to develop a vaccine?
The first people to try the Polio vaccine probably felt the same way, but thank God they were willing anyway.
I'd assume she would be involved in the "active monitoring" of people coming into the Georgia from West African countries impacted by the recent Ebola outbreak. Typically they are monitored for 21 days for signs of symptoms, and fall into three categories. I'd assume the "Some Risk" category might be what this job is, because it requires the most manual labor. So these are not necessarily "Ebola patients" they are simply people who have traveled to West African countries impacted by the recent Ebola outbreak.
"Low Risk": Traveled to an impacted country but did not have contact with infected individuals. They record and report vital signs and symptoms daily via the web or phone.
"Some Risk": Had exposure to infected individuals while wearing appropriate PPE equipment. The health department sends someone to them daily to monitor for signs and symptoms.
"High Risk": Had exposure to infected individuals without wearing PPE. They are quarantined to their homes and video monitored.
Doesn't seem like a good use of resources in this country since the rates of Ebola are basically non existent. If you were planning a trip to one of the African countries where Ebola is more common, then it makes sense to get vaccinated.
And personally - I think it's great. If she has the background and the will to do the work - good for her. That puts her in 'hero' category for me.
Personally, my dream job when I was little was doing scientific research on level 3 (super duper high risk) infectious diseases. The personal risk of infection never phased me. However - the amount of years to do the schooling (I'm not a structured learning person), and the ick factor of dealing with various forms of biological effluvia, made a career in the health sciences not for me, once I actually started taking courses. lol So I went a slightly different way with Physical anthropology instead. Of course all of that is irrelevant to what I actually do (and love) now, so I guess it was good I didn't drop that money on 16 years of schooling.
Actually I remember the polio vaccine in school. We lined up and the nurse handed us a sugar cube with the vaccine on it. Kids didn't have a choice.
That was after it was already approved by the FDA. Trials are part of the approval process, and they need volunteers to succeed. I don't want to do it but thank God some do or we'd never have cures or vaccines for anything.
I would assume those who would sign up are American missionaries or others who have a higher risk of coming into contact with Ebola, there is really no reason for Joe on the street to get it and I doubt that's who the hospitals are targeting or offering it to.
If I were planning a trip to Africa, I would certainly consider getting it.
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