WHO announces start of Ebola vaccine trial in DR Congo outbreak
Ervebo tested against Bundibugyo strain in Bunia as outbreak surpasses 9,700 cases and 4,600 deaths.
The story in focus
The World Health Organization announced the first clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine in the Democratic Republic of Congo's outbreak, with participants vaccinated with Ervebo in Bunia to test cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain. The outbreak has exceeded 9,700 cases and 4,600 deaths.
- Ervebo, approved for the Zaire strain, is being tested against Bundibugyo in Bunia, Ituri province.
- The Tumaini trial uses ring vaccination and will include pregnant women and children aged 12 and older.
- Two Bundibugyo-specific candidates from Oxford and Moderna are expected to enter the trial shortly.
- DRC declared its 17th and worst Ebola outbreak in May; cases now exceed 9,700 with over 4,600 deaths.
Trial design and participants
The Tumaini trial is a single framework designed to test the safety, efficacy and immunogenicity of multiple vaccines, according to the WHO. It employs a ring vaccination approach, immunising contacts at high risk of infection.
The trial includes pregnant women and children aged 12 years and older, groups often excluded from clinical trials, to generate evidence for these populations. WHO emergencies director Chikwe Ihekweazu said the trial was set up to produce the rigorous evidence needed to determine whether the vaccines protect people at risk.
Outbreak scale and response
The DRC declared its 17th and worst Ebola outbreak in May. More than 9,700 cases and over 4,600 deaths have been reported. The WHO triggered a public health emergency of international concern, its second-highest alert level.
The outbreak has spread to four countries across eastern, central and western Africa, the widest geographic spread of any Ebola outbreak on the continent to date.
Vaccines in the pipeline
Two Bundibugyo-specific candidate vaccines are advancing through earlier-stage trials. One is a ChAdOx1 adenoviral vector jab from the University of Oxford; the other, from US-based Moderna, uses mRNA technology. Both have received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and are expected to enter the trial shortly, CEPI said.
What is the Tumaini trial testing?
The Tumaini trial is testing whether the Ervebo vaccine, approved for the Zaire strain, offers cross-protection against the Bundibugyo species causing the current outbreak. It uses ring vaccination and includes pregnant women and children 12 and older.
Sources & further reading
- WHO announces start of Ebola vaccine clinical trial in DR Congo ↗Al Jazeera
- Ebola vaccine trial begins in Democratic Republic of Congo ↗The Straits Times
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