A vaccine that has been found to be 100 percent effective against the deadly Ebola virus could enter production and distribution within two years. The trials for the vaccine, which were conducted in high-risk regions such as Sierra Leone and Guinea, had a high rate of success.

The trials in West Africa's most severely affected nation of Guinea showed almost 100 percent protection from the deadly virus. According to the BBC, due to the success of the clinical trials, the vaccine has now been submitted for regulatory approvals.

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Drug manufacturer Merck has produced more than 100,000 doses of the vaccine in anticipation of a future Ebola virus break out. The International Organization Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) has paid $5 million for the vaccines.

While researchers previously struggled to combat the deadly Ebola virus, the vaccine was so successful during trials that tests were halted early in Africa, the Lancet Journal reported.Guinea's Health Ministry and international groups collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) to carry out the trials for the vaccine rVSV-ZEBOV.

Dr. Marie -Paule Kieny of the WHO said while the vaccine has come too late for the scores of individuals who lost their lives, when the next Ebola virus outbreak hits, the world will be prepared. Although the Ebola virus was first spotted in the 70s, it was not until the recent West African outbreak that researchers started actively seeking to develop a vaccine for it.

According to the medical journal, more than 5,000 people were given the vaccine during trials. None of those who were given the vaccine developed the virus days later. 

The rVSV-EBOV vaccine is effective against the Zaire ebola virus which is a sub-type of the virus most commonly responsible for human infections. However, the vaccine is not effective against other sub-types of the virus. 

The recent epidemic killed more than 11,000 individuals in an outbreak that began in 2013 in Guinea. The virus spread to other areas including Sierra Leone and Liberia.

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