Scientists at the University of Oxford are set to begin the first human trials of an Ebola vaccine within weeks, targeting a rare and deadly strain of the virus. The trial will involve 50 adult volunteers in the United Kingdom receiving a jab developed to combat the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. This experimental vaccine is the first of its kind to reach human testing.
The ongoing epidemic, primarily affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, has resulted in approximately 1,800 confirmed cases and around 645 deaths. Data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated about 100 fatalities in the first week of July alone. The Bundibugyo strain, which has no currently available vaccine, can be fatal in up to 50% of infected individuals.
The outbreak is particularly challenging in regions of the DRC affected by ongoing conflict, which complicates healthcare access and suggests that the actual number of cases might be higher than reported. While four Ebola vaccines have been in development, the Oxford trial marks the first to be administered to humans. This accelerated development timeline, commencing just eight weeks prior to the trial, has been enabled by parallel testing processes and a global scientific effort.
Researchers are actively recruiting volunteers aged 18 to 55 for the phase one trial. Participants will be monitored for up to a year, though significant side effects or a lack of effectiveness are expected to emerge much sooner. The vaccine, produced by the Serum Institute of India, utilizes a harmless virus to deliver genetic material from the Bundibugyo strain, prompting the immune system to develop antibodies without containing the live virus. This technology shares similarities with the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr. Katrina Pollock, the trial's chief investigator, emphasized that safety standards remain rigorous despite the accelerated timeline. "We're doing all the same tests that we would normally do, just we're able to do them in parallel," she told the BBC. The potential for rare but severe side effects, such as blood clotting events observed with the COVID-19 vaccine, has been a key consideration, and any risks will be communicated to volunteers.
In addition to the Oxford vaccine, three other candidates targeting the Bundibugyo strain are in development. These include an mRNA vaccine from Moderna and two others utilizing methods proven effective against different Ebola strains, though these may take longer to manufacture. The Bundibugyo strain was first identified in 2007 and reappeared in the DRC in 2012, though previous outbreaks were smaller in scale. The virus typically spreads through direct contact with bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces, and individuals can be infectious before symptoms appear.