A volunteer has received the first dose of a newly developed vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, marking a major step in efforts to combat a deadly outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Oxford University said the vaccine dose was administered on Friday as researchers moved the candidate into human clinical trials for the relatively rare Ebola strain.
According to the latest figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 1,270 people have died out of nearly 3,000 reported infections in the DRC and Uganda since the outbreak began in May.
Scientists and health organisations have been working urgently to develop vaccines and treatments, with researchers now testing whether new candidates are safe and effective for human use.
Earlier this month, Oxford University in the United Kingdom announced the launch of the first trial for its ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine, which uses similar technology to the platform developed for AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine.
The first dose was given to 37-year-old volunteer Ed Hunt in Oxford on Friday, according to a university spokesperson.
Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute researcher David Pulido-Gomez said the vaccine candidate had progressed from concept to clinical testing within just eight weeks, describing the achievement as the result of a major collaborative effort.
The phase one trial, supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine among 50 healthy adults in the coming weeks.
The Serum Institute of India has already produced a stockpile of 620,000 doses, while researchers are preparing for further clinical studies in Uganda, pending regulatory approval.
Several other Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidates are also being developed, alongside two potential treatments currently under research.
The current outbreak marks the 17th Ebola outbreak recorded in the DRC and only the third caused by the Bundibugyo strain, which currently has no approved vaccines or treatments.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the outbreak is continuing to move faster than response efforts, with challenges including limited access to remote communities due to insecurity and ongoing conflict.
He added that the actual number of infections could be more than double official figures because some affected areas remain difficult to reach.
The outbreak remains concentrated in the mineral-rich and conflict-affected northeastern region of the DRC, while Ebola cases have also been detected in four other provinces.
Ebola spreads through close contact with infected individuals and exposure to contaminated bodily fluids, making rapid detection, vaccination and medical response crucial in containing the disease.
