The hunt for a new Ebola vaccine: Two scientists explain the challenges

The ongoing Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda has now killed 61 people, with 359 confirmed cases. The Bundibugyo strain of the virus has a fatality rate of between 30% and 50%, and there is currently no vaccine approved for it. Two scientists at the University of Oxford, Teresa Lambe and Rebecca Makinson, are part of the group who are working to develop one. In early June, Oxford was one of three organizations to receive funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations for this work. They spoke to The Conversation Weekly podcast about what it takes to make an Ebola vaccine. This is an edited version of that conversation.