K-State researchers help with new Zika vaccine

Researchers at Kansas State University have contributed substantially to developing a promising new Zika virus vaccine, the university said in a prepared statement this week.

“This vaccine is a successful advancement in developing control strategies for Zika virus by creating widespread immunity in susceptible populations,” said Stephen Higgs, director of the Biosecurity Research Institute at KSU, in the statement.

“One shot of DNA vaccine will offer protection for years at a much lower cost, which is especially beneficial for endemic countries in Latin America and Africa,” he wrote.

Higgs is a co-author of the study of the new vaccine. and is one of several KSU scientists who, with others, worked on the vaccine study.

In an email interview on Friday, Higgs said that the vaccine might be available on the market as early as 2018.

“Safety testing is obviously critical,” he said. “And for Zika virus, because of the devastating effects of infection during pregnancy, safety and efficacy tests will have to include volunteer women of child bearing age.

“There are lots of vaccine candidates in various stages of evaluation,” he said. “A concern that antibodies resulting from vaccination, might cause complications if people are infected as with related viruses, also needs to be considered.”

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 11:32 AM with the headline "K-State researchers help with new Zika vaccine."