The World Health Organization (WHO) last year reported some very promising signs during the early stages of a trial involving a vaccine called rVSV-ZEBOV, and now the final results are in, confirming the previously seen 100 percent protection rate from the deadly disease.

"While these compelling results come too late for those who lost their lives during West Africa's Ebola epidemic, they show that when the next Ebola outbreak hits, we will not be defenceless," said Dr Marie-Paule Kieny, WHO's Assistant Director-General for Health Systems and Innovation, and the study's lead author.

While Ebola outbreaks have occurred sporadically since the 1970s, these were short and affected much less people than the most recent event, making it difficult for doctors to trial and develop vaccines. But this changed in 2013, with the outbreak touching 28,000 people and claiming 11,300 lives.