NIH researchers developing Zika vaccine nominated for service award

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The Zika virus that ravaged much of south and central America in an epidemic two years ago has largely faded from the headlines. But public health researchers suspect it’s only a matter of time before another outbreak happens. That’s why it’s important to discover a vaccine first. Researchers at the National Institutes of Health may be on the cusp of doing just that. In the span of one year, they moved a promising vaccine from concept to the second phase of clinical trials.

Drs. Barney Graham and Theodore Pierson have been leading the work for NIH, and they’re finalists for a Service to America Medal for accelerating the vaccine development process. Graham, deputy director of the Vaccine Research Center at NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, talked with Federal Drive with Tom Temin about Zika, and how his team moved quickly to develop a vaccine.

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