WHO approves trials of two new Ebola vaccines as outbreak kills over 5,300
The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines. An outbreak in Africa, mostly in the Democratic Republic of Congo, has killed more than 5,300 people.
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- WHO approved adding two vaccine candidates to a trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- The outbreak is caused by Bundibugyo virus and has killed more than 5,300 people.
- The Africa CDC counts 10,444 confirmed cases, with a fatality rate above 50%.
The World Health Organization on Wednesday approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines, as doctors work to control an outbreak in Africa that has killed more than 5,300 people, according to Medical Xpress.
The two candidates, ChAdOx1 BDBV and Moderna's mRNA-1469, will be added to a vaccine trial that began last month. That trial uses the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for Ebola virus but not for Bundibugyo virus. The Bundibugyo virus is behind the outbreak ravaging the Democratic Republic of Congo.
ChAdOx1 BDBV was developed by the University of Oxford with the Serum Institute of India. Both it and Moderna's mRNA-1469 were developed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus. The DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial, backed by partners including WHO.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "Today, WHO expert groups are recommending adding two vaccine candidates to the trial,".
He also stressed that vaccines are not a substitute for other measures. "Vaccines are powerful tools, but they are not substitutes for the proven measures that can save lives now: early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe and dignified burials and trusted engagement with communities," he said.
On Monday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said the continent's ongoing Ebola epidemic had killed more than 5,300 people. The vast majority of the deaths occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A total of 10,444 cases have been confirmed in the epidemic, and the fatality rate among confirmed cases is more than 50%. UN News also reported that the two candidates will join the clinical trial in the DRC.
Why it matters
Pakistani readers follow major global outbreaks, and WHO approval of vaccine trials is a significant health milestone. The reports do not describe any case or risk in Pakistan. The Serum Institute of India is a partner in developing one of the candidates.
