Nov 4, 9:00 PM
WHO Authorizes Trials for Two Vaccines Targeting Bundibugyo Ebola Strain
Clinical studies begin as the Democratic Republic of the Congo faces its largest outbreak on record.
The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials for two new vaccines designed to target the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Following a recommendation by WHO expert groups, the trials aim to address the largest Ebola outbreak in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Data from the African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that 10,444 cases of the virus have been confirmed since May. More than 5,300 people have died in the outbreak, which carries a fatality rate of 50 percent due to the absence of specific approved treatments. Cases have also spread beyond the Congo, with nine cases and two deaths reported in Kenya and one confirmed case in Nigeria.
The new trials are being led by the Congo's National Institute for Biomedical Research in cooperation with the WHO and international partners. Developed jointly by the University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna, the candidates specifically target the Bundibugyo variant. Results from the study are expected in early 2027, following earlier trials initiated last month that utilized the Ervebo vaccine, which was originally developed for the Zaire strain.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that while vaccines are effective tools, traditional public health interventions remain critical to controlling the virus. He emphasized the necessity of contact tracing, early care, isolation, safe burials, and community engagement during epidemic responses. Tedros also called for the removal of travel restrictions imposed by several countries, stating that “such restrictions punish countries for doing the right thing, create disincentives for transparency, and harm the response.”
The WHO is currently assisting nations bordering the Democratic Republic of the Congo to prepare for potential cross-border transmission. Meanwhile, the British government announced that an infected British healthcare worker is being evacuated from the Congo to the United Kingdom for specialist care. According to official statements, the patient is in stable condition and will be admitted to a high-consequence infectious disease unit upon arrival.
Written by Christiane Hofreiter christiane.hofreiter@alpineweekly.com
