WHO approves trials for two new Ebola vaccines

Incredible celebrations as last patient leaves a DRC Ebola centre

The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines, as doctors fight to control the largest outbreak in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

On Monday, WHO expert groups recommended adding two vaccine trials designed to fight the Bundibugyo strain, which has killed more than 5,300 people, most in the DRC, since May.

Public health agencies have struggled to contain the Bundibugyo virus, which has a fatality rate of 50 percent due to the lack of a vaccine or treatments designed specifically for the strain.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a trial that began last month used the Ervebo vaccine, which was approved for the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus but is not designed for Bundibugyo.

Tedros said the new vaccines undergoing trials are designed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus. Results from the vaccine trial are expected in early 2027, the WHO reported.

The DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial, backed by the WHO and other partners, said Tedros. The vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford 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,” he added.

The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said 10,444 cases of the Bundibugyo virus have been confirmed, making it the fastest-growing outbreak in DRC’s history.

In Kenya, nine cases have been reported, including two deaths. One case has been confirmed in Nigeria, according to the WHO.

Tedros urged that travel restrictions imposed by some countries be lifted, warning that they could discourage transparent reporting.

“Such restrictions punish countries for doing the right thing, create disincentives for transparency, and harm the response,” said Tedros.

The WHO said it is supporting all countries neighbouring DRC to prepare for cases to spread across borders.

Meanwhile, a British healthcare worker infected with Ebola is being ⁠evacuated from the DRC to the United Kingdom for specialist treatment, a UK government spokesperson said.

In a statement, the government said the patient is in a stable condition and is expected to arrive ⁠in the UK by Thursday, then be transferred to a high-consequence infectious disease unit.

The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains ‌low, the statement said.