The World Health Organization has endorsed clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccine candidates as health workers battle an outbreak caused by a rare variant of the virus that has killed more than 5,300 people across several African countries.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus for which no vaccine has been approved, began in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May. Cases have also been reported in Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda, with the DRC remaining the epicentre.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday that the organisation’s expert groups are recommending the addition of two vaccine candidates developed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus to clinical trials. The two candidates are being developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India and Moderna. The trial will be led by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, with support from international partners including WHO.
According to the DRC’s latest data from 31 October, the outbreak has infected more than 10,000 people with a fatality rate of over 50 per cent, making it the fastest-growing and most widespread Ebola epidemic on record. The DRC alone has reported 5,103 deaths.
“Vaccines are powerful tools, but they're not substitutes for the proven measures that can save lives now,” Tedros said, citing early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe and dignified burials, and trusted engagement with communities.
In response to the outbreak, Ghana and the United States have introduced travel restrictions on travellers arriving from the DRC. Tedros condemned these measures and recommended against them. “We call on countries that have imposed travel restrictions to lift them. Such restrictions punish countries for doing the right thing, create disincentives for transparency and harm the response,” he said. This position is shared by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which has said since the beginning of the outbreak that travel restrictions should not be used as a primary public health tool.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The Bundibugyo virus strain currently has no approved vaccine, making these trials a potential breakthrough in combating an outbreak that is already the largest and fastest-spreading Ebola epidemic on record.
- With a fatality rate above 50 per cent and cases crossing borders, the success of these trials could determine how quickly health authorities can contain the spread and reduce deaths.
- The dispute over travel restrictions highlights tensions between public health cooperation and individual countries' border controls, which can affect transparency and the global response.
Background
Ebola virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans. The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rarer strain first identified in Uganda in 2007. Previous Ebola epidemics, most notably the 2014–2016 West Africa outbreak, have been countered with vaccines developed for the Zaire strain, but no vaccine exists for Bundibugyo. The WHO routinely coordinates international responses to such outbreaks, including recommending vaccine trials and public health measures.
What to Watch
- The timeline for launching the clinical trials in the DRC and whether vaccine doses can be produced quickly enough by Oxford/Serum Institute and Moderna.
- Whether the outbreak continues to spread to additional countries or remains concentrated in the DRC.
- Whether Ghana and the US maintain their travel restrictions, and whether other countries follow suit, potentially affecting cooperation and data sharing.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedTedros said: “Vaccines are powerful tools, but they're not substitutes for the proven measures that can save lives now.”Euronews: ““Vaccines are powerful tools, but they're not substitutes for the proven measures that can save lives now,” Tedros added, citing early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe and dignified burials, and trusted engagement with communities.”
- SupportedTedros called on countries with travel restrictions to lift them, saying they punish countries for transparency and harm the response.Euronews: ““We call on countries that have imposed travel restrictions to lift them. Such restrictions punish countries for doing the right thing, create disincentives for transparency and harm the response,” he said.”
- SupportedWHO backed clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccine candidates.Euronews: “The World Health Organization (WHO) has backed clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccine candidates”
- SupportedThe outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, for which no vaccine has been approved.Euronews: “The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rare Ebola variant for which no vaccine has been approved.”
- SupportedThe outbreak has killed more than 5,300 people across several African countries.Euronews: “The World Health Organization (WHO) has backed clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccine candidates as health workers battle an outbreak in several African countries that has killed more than 5,300 people.”
- SupportedTedros told reporters at a Geneva press conference on Wednesday that WHO expert groups recommend adding two candidates to the trial.Euronews: ““Today WHO expert groups are recommending adding two vaccine candidates to the trial that had been developed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters during a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday.”
- SupportedThe candidates are being developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India, and by Moderna.Euronews: “The two vaccine candidates are being developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India and Moderna.”
- SupportedThe trial will be led by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, with international partners including WHO supporting it.Euronews: “The trial will be led by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, with support from international partners, including WHO.”
- SupportedAccording to DRC data from 31 October, more than 10,000 people had been infected and the fatality rate was over 50 per cent.Euronews: “The outbreak, which began in the DRC in May, has infected more than 10,000 people, with a fatality rate of over 50%, according to the country’s latest data from 31 October”
- SupportedThe outbreak is the fastest-growing and most widespread Ebola epidemic on record.Euronews: “making it the fastest-growing and most widespread Ebola epidemic on record.”
- SupportedGhana and the United States have introduced travel restrictions on travellers arriving from the DRC.Euronews: “In response, some countries, including Ghana and the United States, have introduced travel restrictions on travellers arriving from the DRC.”
- SupportedThe Africa CDC has said since the outbreak began that travel restrictions should not be used as a primary public-health tool.Euronews: “This position is shared by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which, since the beginning of the outbreak , has said that travel restrictions should not be used as a primary public health tool during outbreaks.”