By Thomas M. Burton 

National Institutes of Health researchers reported that a possible vaccine for the Ebola virus appears to be safe in early testing and that a clinical study in West Africa can go ahead as planned late this year or in early 2015.

The scientists reported the results of Phase I testing in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday. Their report about the very early safety testing was immediately followed by a congratulatory statement from the White House. It is unusual for the White House to discuss such early medical results, and the statement underscored the dire nature of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the fear it has engendered in this country.

The vaccine was developed by scientists at the NIH's Vaccine Research Center, primarily in the laboratory of Nancy Sullivan, the subject of a page-one article in The Wall Street Journal about her scientific work. The positive findings about safety mirror public statements by Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the official overseeing work of the vaccine center.

The White House statement lauded the NIH and called the early report "evidence of this Administration's determination to mount an aggressive, whole-of-government response to the Ebola crisis." It called the findings "another important milestone" toward a useful vaccine.

Still, there are many hurdles to clear before a vaccine becomes a reality. This vaccine, part of a joint effort by the NIH and GlaxoSmithKline PLC, is believed to be the vaccine candidate that is farthest along, but others are being developed as well.

The vaccine was given in different doses to two groups among the 20 volunteers. The volunteers given a higher dosage developed far more immune response than did the other group, a step that may help researchers home in on the proper dose in the larger trials in West Africa.

However, those findings would be considered very preliminary and not evidence that the vaccine is working.

The plan is for the possible NIH/Glaxo vaccine to be tested in health-care workers in Liberia, where thousands of Ebola patients have died. Some medical staffers have come down with the virus, despite using protective suits to prevent infection.

The article said that the initial safety data in 20 healthy people support the safety and immune-system effects of a single dose of the vaccine being tested. Researchers said "there were no serious adverse effects."

A fever did occur in some patients eight to 24 hours after they were vaccinated, but the fevers "resolved within one day," the scientists wrote.

Write to Thomas M. Burton at tom.burton@wsj.com

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