An experimental vaccine for Ebola is effective in keeping the killer virus at bay for at least five weeks when tested in lab monkeys.  But the test drug from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) needs a booster shot to extend its protection to ten months.  It’s an early hint into the effectiveness of the first generation of anti-Ebola drugs.

The new study, published in Nature Medicine, suggests that the GSK vaccine now being tested on healthy human volunteers will protect against Ebola infection in the short term, but may have to be augmented for long-term protection.  The good news is that it was effective in all four test monkeys.  Johnson & Johnson and NewLink Genetics are also working on different versions of an Ebola vaccine.  The WHO set November as the target date deplaying a new Ebola vaccine.

Other developments:  The African Union Executive Council will meet today to coordinate the continent’s response to the outbreak that has killed more than 2,000 people so far.  The executive council meeting is also expected to deliberate on the suspension of flights, and maritime and border closures, which medical groups have said makes the outbreak worse because it’s more difficult to get food, aid, and personnel to infected areas.

The latest American doctor to be infected with Ebola is “slightly improved”, according to his wife.  Doctor Rick Sacra contracted Ebola in Liberia and was airlifted to a special isolation unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.