BBC News School Report @ LCS

Scientists say that apes should be vaccinated to protect the critically endangered species from further harm. In the past, Ebola breakouts are estimated to have wiped out a third of the primates.

"Now that we have shown that this is a safe vaccine, it’s really a moral imperative that we use it. The disease is a huge threat to gorillas right now. We vaccinate our children, we vaccinate our livestock, we vaccinate our pets, we vaccinate wildlife - why aren't we vaccinating our closest relatives?"

Doctor Walsh

Now there is a vaccine that is 100% effective against this deadly disease, and there is hope that it could prevent anything this big from happening again.

Some scientists argue that gorillas could benefit from the vaccination as well. Ebola in humans and apes has shown to be connected. Many outbreaks have started when people have made contact with infected gorillas or chimp carcasses.

Thousands of gorillas, who already face a threat from poaching and habitat loss, are thought to have died from Ebola. This disease is extremely lethal for the primates; there is a 90-98% chance that chimps or gorillas will die if infected.

Dr Walsh tested the vaccine on ten captive chimpanzees. Four were injected with it and six were given it orally.

“We found the vaccine gave a very robust immune response and didn't cause any health complications,"

Dr Walsh

The trial was stopped early when a ban on the use of chimps in biomedical research came into force in the US in 2015. However, Liz Macfie, vice chair of the International Union for Conversation of Nature’s section on great apes, said that the results of the trial were promising, but expressed some concern about safety.

Dr Walsh has said that the situation is urgent. “The Ebola situation is quiet right now in Africa, and there is a danger that people are going to think: 'Oh, that's not a problem anymore, we don't have to worry about it. But believe me, it's been quiet before and then it's come roaring back. And that's why, instead of waiting for the crisis, we need to start to develop the tools to protect these animals in the future."