Health

WHO Endorses Trials for Two Bundibugyo‑Specific Ebola Vaccines

By Al Jazeera Staff

The World Health Organization approved clinical trials for two new vaccines targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has killed more than 5,300 people, mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), since May. WHO expert groups recommended adding these trials after a study that began last month used the Ervebo vaccine, approved for the Zaire strain but not for Bundibugyo. The new vaccines are specifically designed for the Bundibugyo virus. Results are expected in early 2027. The DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial with support from WHO and partners. The vaccines were developed by the University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that vaccines are powerful tools but must be combined with proven measures such as early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe burials, and community engagement. The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported 10,444 confirmed Bundibugyo cases, the fastest-growing outbreak in DRC history. Kenya has nine cases, including two deaths, and Nigeria has one confirmed case. Tedros urged lifting travel restrictions that could discourage transparent reporting, stating they punish countries for doing the right thing and harm the response. WHO is supporting neighboring countries to prepare for potential cross‑border spread. A British healthcare worker infected with Ebola is being evacuated from the DRC to the United Kingdom for specialist treatment; the patient is stable and expected to arrive by Thursday for transfer to a high‑consequence infectious disease unit. The risk to the UK public from Ebola remains low.