WHO approves trials of two Ebola vaccines in the DRC — Al Jazeera
The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials of two new vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The trials are intended to help combat an outbreak that the WHO calls the largest in the country’s history, Al Jazeera reports.
Vaccines against the Bundibugyo strain
On Monday, WHO expert groups recommended adding two trials of vaccines specifically designed to counter the Bundibugyo strain. Since May, this strain has claimed more than 5,300 lives, mainly in the DRC.
Health authorities are facing difficulties in containing the virus, which has a fatality rate of 50%. There have so far been no vaccines or treatments developed specifically for this strain.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that a trial launched last month involved the use of the Ervebo vaccine. It has been approved for the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, but is not intended to combat the Bundibugyo strain. The results of the new trials are expected in early 2027.
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Scale of the outbreak and response
The study is led by the DRC’s National Institute of Biomedical Research with support from the WHO and other partners. The University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India and Moderna have contributed to vaccine development.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 10,444 cases of infection with the Bundibugyo strain have been confirmed. This outbreak has been described as the fastest-growing in the DRC’s history. Nine cases, including two deaths, have been recorded in Kenya, while the WHO has confirmed one case in Nigeria.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for the lifting of travel restrictions introduced by some countries, as they could hinder transparent reporting of disease cases. The WHO is also helping all states bordering the DRC prepare for the possible cross-border spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, a British healthcare worker infected with Ebola is being evacuated from the DRC to the United Kingdom for specialized treatment. According to the British government, the patient is in stable condition.
