WHO launches Ebola vaccine trial in DR Congo outbreak
The World Health Organization starts a clinical trial of the Ervebo vaccine in Bunia to test cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain driving the country's worst Ebola outbreak.
At a glance
- WHO has launched the first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing outbreak.
- The trial uses the Ervebo vaccine in Bunia to assess cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain responsible for over 9,700 cases and 4,600 deaths.
- Two additional candidate vaccines from Oxford and Moderna will join the trial, which includes pregnant women and children aged 12 and older.
The World Health Organization announced on Friday the start of the first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo's ongoing outbreak. Participants received the Ervebo vaccine in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, which is the epicentre of the epidemic.
The DRC declared its 17th and most severe Ebola outbreak in May, reporting more than 9,700 cases and over 4,600 deaths. The WHO responded by declaring a public health emergency of international concern, its second-highest alert level. The outbreak has now spread to four countries across eastern, central and western Africa, marking the widest geographic reach of any Ebola epidemic on the continent.
The trial, named Tumaini, uses a single framework to evaluate the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of multiple vaccines. It employs a ring vaccination strategy, immunising contacts at high risk of infection. Ervebo, already approved for the Zaire strain of Ebola, is being tested for cross-protection against the Bundibugyo species responsible for the current crisis.
Two additional candidate vaccines designed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus will join the trial soon. One is a ChAdOx1 adenoviral vector vaccine developed by the University of Oxford; the other is an mRNA vaccine from the US-based Moderna group. Both have received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.
Notably, the trial includes pregnant women and children aged 12 years and older, populations often excluded from clinical research. WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu said the study is designed to generate rigorous evidence on whether the vaccines can protect people at risk. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasised that the agency is supporting this DRC-led effort to find answers and save lives.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- What vaccine is being tested in the WHO trial in DR Congo?
- The trial initially uses the Ervebo vaccine, approved for the Zaire Ebola strain, to evaluate cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain driving the current outbreak.
- Which other vaccines will be included in the trial?
- A ChAdOx1 adenoviral vector vaccine from the University of Oxford and an mRNA vaccine from Moderna, both funded by CEPI, are expected to join the trial shortly.
- Who is eligible to participate in the trial?
- The trial includes high-risk contacts identified through ring vaccination, as well as pregnant women and children aged 12 years and older.
