A trial Ebola vaccine is highly effective against the disease, according to a study published Friday by the World Health Organization.
The vaccine, called VSV-ZEBOV, prevented disease transmission in 2,000 people who took it within a week of exposure to an Ebola patient. More than 7,500 people participated in the trial.
"If proven effective, this is going to be a game changer," said WHO Director General Margaret Chan in a press conference. "It will change the management of the current Ebola outbreak and future outbreaks."
Scientists and regulators have slashed red tape to test several Ebola vaccine candidates. But other promising candidates were less successful.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which began in December 2013, is the worst in history. More than 27,000 people were infected and 11,000 died, according to the World Health Organization. There is no treatment for Ebola on the market.
The outbreak also brought Ebola to the United States for the first time, with five infections and one death.
Gavin Stern is a national digital producer for the Scripps National Desk.