WHO approves clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines
The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines, as doctors fight to control an outbreak in Africa that has killed more than 5,300 people.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines, as a devastating outbreak in Africa has claimed over 5,300 lives thus far. The Ebola virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been particularly deadly, with a fatality rate exceeding 50%. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus revealed that the approval comes after a trial began using the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for the Ebola virus but not the Bundibugyo virus ravaging the DRC.
Two new vaccine candidates, developed by the University of Oxford and Moderna, respectively, were recommended for the trial. The DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial, backed by WHO and other partners. WHO emphasizes that while vaccines are powerful tools, they are not substitutes for proven measures such as early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe burials, and community engagement.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) reported that the ongoing Ebola epidemic in Africa has killed over 5,300 people, with 10,444 confirmed cases and a fatality rate of more than 50%. Nigeria has recorded its first imported Ebola case caused by the Bundibugyo virus, marking the country as the fifth to detect the virus since the outbreak began in the DRC on May 15, 2026.
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