National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

ACIP Ebola Virus Vaccine Work Group

Wilbur Chen, MD

University of Maryland School of Medicine

Chair, Ebola Vaccine Working Group

Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices

November 3, 2021
Ebola Vaccine ACIP Work Group

ACIP Members

Wilbur Chen (Chair)

Jamie Loehr

Ex Officio Members

Rebecca Reindel (FDA)

Stephanie Polo (FDA)

Bryan Schumacher (DOD)

Amanda Zarrabian (BARDA)

Dan Wolfe (BARDA)

Elizabeth Higgs (NIH)

Richard Davey (NIH)

CDC Lead

Mary Choi

Liaison Representatives

Alexander Isakov (ACEP)

Alexa Kachikis (ACOG)

Sandra Adamson Fryhofer (AMA)

Christine Hahn (CSTE)

Milan Patel (NACI)

Chris Nyquist (AAP)

Daniel Lucey (IDSA)

David Weber (SHEA)

Marcus Plescia (ASTHO)

Consultants

Robert Atmar (Baylor College of Medicine)

Collen Kraft (Emory University)

Jim LeDuc (UTMB)

Pierre Rollin

Allison Liddell (Texas Health Dallas) 

Armand Sprecher (MSF)

Stacy Hall (AIM)

Sharon Frey
Grade Consultants/CDC Contributors

GRADE Consultants

Rebecca Morgan

Doug Campos-Outcalt

CDC Contributors

Caitlin Cossaboom

Amy Whitesell

Jason Malenfant

Susan Gorman

Jessica MacNeil

Sarah Mbaeyi

Marissa Person

Brian Harcourt

Terri Hyde

Rita Helfand

Yon Yu

Susan Goldstein

Inger Damon

Michael Bell

Shah Roohi

Julianne Gee

Jennifer McQuiston

Elizabeth Ervin

John Su

Joel Montgomery

Trevor Shoemaker

Julie Villanueva
Recap of Ebola Virus Vaccine Session, February 2020

▪ ACIP recommended preexposure vaccination with Ervebo®1for adults 

aged ≥18 years in the U.S. population who are at highest risk for potential 

occupational exposure to Ebola virus species Zaire ebolavirus because 

they are:

– responding to an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), or

– work as health care personnel1 at federally designated Ebola treatment 

centers in the United States, or

– work as laboratorians or other staff at biosafety level 4 facilities in the United 

States.

1 rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP Ebola vaccine
Recap of Ebola Virus Vaccine Session, February 2021

▪ Identified 2 additional U.S. populations at risk for potential occupational 

exposure to Ebola virus (species Zaire ebolavirus)

– Healthcare personnel2(HCP) at a state designated Ebola Treatment Centers 

involved in the care and transport of suspect or confirmed EVD patients

– Individuals who work as laboratorians and support staff at Laboratory 

Response Network (LRN) facilities that handle specimens that may contain 

replication-competent Ebola virus (species Zaire ebolavirus) in the United 

States

▪ Presented result of vaccine acceptability survey for both populations

2See slide #9
Key Events Since February 2021

▪ EVD outbreak declared on February 14, 2021 in Guinea

– Outbreak declared over June 19, 2021

– 23 cases and 12 deaths (52%)

▪ 12th EVD outbreak declared on February 7, 2021 in Democratic Republic of 

Congo (DRC)

– Outbreak declared over May 3, 2021

– 12 cases, 6 deaths (50%)

▪ 13th EVD outbreak declared on October 8, 2021 DRC
WG Activities and Discussions Since February 2021

▪ Elicited the support of Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 

(CSTE) to define/enumerate state-designated Ebola Treatment Centers

▪ Discussions on risk of exposure to Ebola virus for both groups

▪ Discussions on proposed policy options
Agenda Overview

▪ Review of GRADE and overview of State-Designated Ebola Treatment 

Centers and the Laboratory Response Network

– Amy Whitesell, MPH, CDC/VSPB

▪ Evidence to Recommendation (EtR)

– Dr. Jason Malenfant, CDC/VSBP

▪ Summary of WG considerations and proposed policy options

– Dr. Caitlin Cossaboom, CDC/VSPB
Healthcare Personnel Definition

2 Healthcare personnel (HCP) refers to all paid and unpaid persons serving in healthcare 

settings who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious 

materials, including body substances (e.g., blood, tissue, and specific body fluids); 

contaminated medical supplies, devices, and equipment; contaminated environmental 

surfaces; or contaminated air. These HCP include, but are not limited to, emergency 

medical service personnel, nurses, nursing assistants, physicians, technicians, clinical 

laboratory personnel, autopsy personnel, therapists, phlebotomists, pharmacists, students 

and trainees, contractual staff not employed by the healthcare facility, and persons not 

directly involved in patient care, but who could be exposed to infectious agents that can be 

transmitted in the healthcare setting (e.g., clerical, dietary, environmental services, laundry, 

security, engineering and facilities management, administrative, billing, and volunteer 

personnel). 

Adapted from https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/guidelines/healthcarepersonnel/index.html
For more information, contact CDC

1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)

TTY: 1-888-232-6348 www.cdc.gov

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the 

official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases

Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology