A new Ebola vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Oxford has entered its first human clinical trial just eight weeks after development began, making it the first of four vaccine candidates to reach this stage in response to the current outbreak.
The vaccine targets the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has caused more than 1,700 confirmed cases and over 600 deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Around 50 healthy volunteers in the UK will take part in the Phase 1 trial to assess the vaccine’s safety and ability to trigger an immune response, while preparations are also underway for future studies in Africa.
The vaccine uses the same viral vector technology as the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, allowing researchers to rapidly adapt an existing platform without compromising on safety testing. If successful, the study could pave the way for larger clinical trials and provide an important new tool to help control the current outbreak and improve preparedness for future Ebola epidemics.
Read the article: UK starts first vaccine trial, eight weeks into Ebola emergency – BBC News