The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines designed to target the Bundibugyo strain, as the Democratic Republic of the Congo battles the largest outbreak in its history.
The virus has killed more than 5,300 people, most of them in the DRC, since May. A total of 10,444 cases have been confirmed, according to the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public health agencies have struggled to contain the outbreak because there are no vaccines or treatments specifically designed for the Bundibugyo strain, which has a fatality rate of 50 per cent.
WHO expert groups recommended the two trials on Monday. The organisation’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said an earlier trial, which began last month, used Ervebo – a vaccine approved for the Zaire strain of Ebola but not designed for Bundibugyo.
The new vaccines are being developed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, with results expected in early 2027. The DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial, with support from the WHO and other partners.
The vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with the Serum Institute of India and Moderna.
“Vaccines are powerful tools, but they are not substitutes for the proven measures that can save lives now: early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe and dignified burials and trusted engagement with communities,” Dr Tedros said.
Cases have also been reported outside the DRC. Kenya has recorded nine cases, including two deaths, while one case has been confirmed in Nigeria.
Dr Tedros called for travel restrictions imposed by some countries to be lifted, warning that they could discourage countries from reporting cases openly.
“Such restrictions punish countries for doing the right thing, create disincentives for transparency, and harm the response,” he said.
The WHO said it was supporting all countries neighbouring the DRC to prepare for the virus spreading across borders.
Meanwhile, a British healthcare worker infected with Ebola is being evacuated from the DRC to the UK for specialist treatment. The patient is in a stable condition and is expected to arrive by Thursday before being transferred to a high-consequence infectious disease unit.
The UK Government said the risk to the British public remained low.
