The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the inclusion of two additional Ebola vaccine candidates in an ongoing clinical trial in the Democ...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the inclusion of two additional Ebola vaccine candidates in an ongoing clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), expanding efforts to develop protection against the deadly Bundibugyo virus.The recommendation is aimed at strengthening research into vaccines that could help prevent future outbreaks of Bundibugyo virus disease, a rare but highly dangerous form of Ebola for which no approved vaccine is currently available.The proposed addition of the two candidates would broaden the scope of the ongoing clinical trial and provide researchers with more options to assess the safety and effectiveness of potential vaccines against the strain.The vaccines will be evaluated under the Tumaini clinical trial, led by the DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research, with support from WHO and other international health partners. Their inclusion is subject to national regulatory approvals. The trial uses a ring-vaccination approach, targeting contacts of people confirmed to have Bundibugyo virus disease. Four vaccination rings have already been established, with additional groups being prepared.The development comes amid a major Ebola outbreak in the region, with more than 10,000 confirmed cases and thousands of deaths reported. The Bundibugyo strain has proven particularly difficult to control because no vaccine has yet been licensed specifically against it.WHO said initial results from the vaccine trial are expected in early 2027.The organisation has also stressed that vaccination alone will not stop the outbreak, calling for stronger disease surveillance, early treatment, contact tracing, isolation of infected patients and community engagement.
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