Wire reporting: (AFP, via Al Jazeera)

The World Health Organization said its expert groups recommended adding two vaccine candidates designed for Bundibugyo Ebola virus to a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as health agencies try to contain an outbreak that Africa CDC said has killed more than 5,300 people^1,2.

A trial using Ervebo, a vaccine approved for Ebola virus disease caused by Zaire ebolavirus but not for Bundibugyo, began last month, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, according to both accounts^1,2.

RTE, carrying AFP, identified the candidates as ChAdOx1 BDBV, developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna's mRNA-1469². Al Jazeera, citing WHO, said the vaccines were developed by Oxford with the Serum Institute of India and Moderna and that trial results are expected in early 2027¹.

DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial with WHO and other partners, Tedros said^1,2. Al Jazeera said public health agencies have lacked a vaccine or treatments designed specifically for Bundibugyo, which it said has a fatality rate of 50 percent¹.

Africa CDC this week reported more than 5,300 deaths and 10,444 confirmed cases, mostly in DRC, both outlets said^1,2. Al Jazeera described it as DRC's largest and fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record and said cases have been reported since May¹.

Al Jazeera reported nine cases in Kenya, including two deaths, and one confirmed case in Nigeria, plus WHO support for neighboring countries¹. RTE's AFP copy did not include those country notes².

Tedros urged that some countries lift travel restrictions, Al Jazeera reported, saying they can punish transparency¹. He also said vaccines do not replace early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe burials and community engagement^1,2.

Al Jazeera separately reported a British health worker with Ebola was being evacuated from DRC to the United Kingdom for specialist care, with UK officials saying the patient was stable and the public risk remained low¹.

Not medical advice.

Sources

1. (AFP, via Al Jazeera)WHO approves trials for two new Ebola vaccinesAlso (AFP, via RTE News)2:22 PM

Read the original at Al Jazeera ↗