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- There are four vaccines in development against the Bundibugyo species; this is the first to enter human trials.
- A licensed vaccine exists for the Zaire species but is ineffective against Bundibugyo.
- A second small vaccine trial is due to start soon in Uganda, followed by a larger efficacy study in DR Congo.
- The Serum Institute in India has manufactured 600,000 doses of the Oxford Ebola vaccine ready for use.
- There have been more than 2,500 confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo, including just over 1,000 deaths.
Prof Teresa Lambe, who led the Ebola vaccine team at the University of Oxford, said they had been able to create it so quickly because of the background of decades of research.
She explained how they would confirm that the vaccine was effective at protecting people. It cannot give anyone Ebola.
”We will not be giving anybody Ebola in this trial or any trial.
“The aim of the phase one clinical study is to look for the safety of the vaccine, and also to see if we’re getting a strong immune response that could be protective against the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.”
There are four vaccines in development against the Bundibugyo species which has triggered the outbreak, but this is the first to enter human trials.
There is a licensed vaccine against the Zaire species of Ebola, but it does not work against Bundibugyo.
The Oxford team say a second small Ebola vaccine trial is due to begin soon in Uganda, followed by a bigger study, looking at efficacy, in DR Congo.
The Serum Institute in India has already manufactured 600,000 doses of the Oxford Ebola vaccine, ready to be used if the trials are successful.
To date there have been more than 2,500 confirmed cases of Ebola in DR Congo, including just over 1,000 deaths.
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