FDA and WHO warn people to avoid fake Ebola cures
On Thursday, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posted a bulletin on its official website that warned Americans not to fall for advertisements that promote fake cures for the deadly Ebola virus that is sweeping through West Africa. The World Health Organization (WHO) has joined the FDA in reminding people that there is currently NO cure for the deadly virus, and threatened penalties for people who continue to claim there is.
“There are currently no FDA-approved vaccines or drugs to prevent or treat Ebola. Although there are experimental Ebola vaccines and treatments under development, these investigational products are in the early stages of product development, have not yet been fully tested for safety or effectiveness and the supply is very limited,” the FDA said in a statement. “There are no approved vaccines, drugs, or investigational products specifically for Ebola available for purchase on the Internet. By law, dietary supplements cannot claim to prevent or cure disease.”
While there are a few experimental Ebola vaccines and treatments that are currently in development, they are still in their very early stages and have not undergone the thorough testing they need to ensure that they are both safe and effective to use. Most of them are also in extremely limited supply, the FDA said. The FDA also stressed that, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ebola does not pose a significant threat to people residing in the United States.
“It is important to note that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Ebola does not pose a significant risk to the US public,” the regulators said in their reminder. “Unfortunately, during outbreak situations, fraudulent products that claim to prevent, treat or cure a disease all too often appear on the market. The FDA monitors for these fraudulent products and false claims and takes appropriate action to protect consumers.”
Read more about the story at Time.
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