DR Congo Launches New Ebola Vaccine Trial as Outbreak Spreads
(MENAFN) Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have begun testing a new Ebola vaccine as efforts to contain a rapidly spreading outbreak continue, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Friday.
The first volunteers enrolled in the trial, named Tumaini, meaning hope in Swahili, received vaccinations in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, according to the WHO’s regional office for Africa.
The organization described the launch as “a major step in the fight against Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain,” which has continued spreading across geographical boundaries.
The study will assess experimental vaccines developed to protect against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Researchers will focus on individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases to evaluate whether the vaccine candidates can provide protection against infection.
No vaccine has yet been approved specifically for the Bundibugyo strain, which was first identified in the current outbreak in Congo in May.
The WHO said the trial would follow strict scientific standards and ethical requirements, including transparency, informed consent and engagement with affected communities.
“This trial will help us understand whether any of the vaccine candidates designed for Bundibugyo virus work,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
In August, Congo received 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from the international Ebola vaccine stockpile to support its response to the outbreak. However, that vaccine is approved for use against the Zaire strain rather than the Bundibugyo variant.
The new trial is being coordinated by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with support from the WHO, Congo’s Health Ministry and other partners.
Ebola Cases And Deaths Continue To Rise
The outbreak has placed considerable pressure on health services, with confirmed infections in Congo surpassing 9,700 and deaths exceeding 4,690, according to the latest figures from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eight provinces have been affected: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, South-Ubangi and North Ubangi.
Health officials have also expressed concern about the disease spreading beyond Congo’s borders, complicating regional efforts to contain transmission and coordinate public health responses.
Kenya has reported confirmed infections, including deaths, while Nigeria announced its first confirmed case earlier in the week. The Nigerian case is believed to have been imported from Congo.
The vaccine trial represents a new component of the response to the outbreak, as researchers seek to determine whether candidate vaccines can help prevent infections caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Its findings could inform future efforts to protect people exposed to the disease and strengthen outbreak control measures.
The first volunteers enrolled in the trial, named Tumaini, meaning hope in Swahili, received vaccinations in Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri, according to the WHO’s regional office for Africa.
The organization described the launch as “a major step in the fight against Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain,” which has continued spreading across geographical boundaries.
The study will assess experimental vaccines developed to protect against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Researchers will focus on individuals who have been in contact with confirmed cases to evaluate whether the vaccine candidates can provide protection against infection.
No vaccine has yet been approved specifically for the Bundibugyo strain, which was first identified in the current outbreak in Congo in May.
The WHO said the trial would follow strict scientific standards and ethical requirements, including transparency, informed consent and engagement with affected communities.
“This trial will help us understand whether any of the vaccine candidates designed for Bundibugyo virus work,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post on X.
In August, Congo received 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine from the international Ebola vaccine stockpile to support its response to the outbreak. However, that vaccine is approved for use against the Zaire strain rather than the Bundibugyo variant.
The new trial is being coordinated by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), with support from the WHO, Congo’s Health Ministry and other partners.
Ebola Cases And Deaths Continue To Rise
The outbreak has placed considerable pressure on health services, with confirmed infections in Congo surpassing 9,700 and deaths exceeding 4,690, according to the latest figures from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eight provinces have been affected: Haut-Uele, Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, Bas-Uele, Tshopo, South-Ubangi and North Ubangi.
Health officials have also expressed concern about the disease spreading beyond Congo’s borders, complicating regional efforts to contain transmission and coordinate public health responses.
Kenya has reported confirmed infections, including deaths, while Nigeria announced its first confirmed case earlier in the week. The Nigerian case is believed to have been imported from Congo.
The vaccine trial represents a new component of the response to the outbreak, as researchers seek to determine whether candidate vaccines can help prevent infections caused by the Bundibugyo virus. Its findings could inform future efforts to protect people exposed to the disease and strengthen outbreak control measures.
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