A new vaccine to combat a strain of Ebola spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo will soon be tested on adults in the United Kingdom. Scientists at the University of Oxford have been working to develop a jab to protect against the Bundibugyo type of Ebola and now plan to assess its safety and immune response in 50 healthy adults aged 18 to 55.
Scientists started developing the vaccine eight weeks ago when when the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended prioritizing the development of an Ebola vaccine, shortly after the outbreak was declared on 17th of May. It is the first – out of four vaccines under development – to enter clinical trials. Volunteers are now being recruited for the trial, and the vaccinations will begin in the coming weeks after the UK regulator gave permission for trials to take place.
The Ebola epidemic has killed 625 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with 1,792 laboratory confirmed cases.
