WHO approves clinical trials on two new Ebola vaccines

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines in an ongoing outbreak that has claimed more than 5,300 lives in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This comes as a previous vaccine trial began using the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for Ebola but not for the Bundibugyo virus causing the current outbreak.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the two new vaccine candidates, ChAdOx1 BDBV and Moderna's mRNA-1469, were specifically developed for the Bundibugyo virus and were recommended for addition to the trial. The DRC's National Institute for Biomedical Research is leading the trial, supported by various partners including WHO.

While vaccines are valuable tools, they are not a replacement for proven measures such as early care, contact tracing, isolation, safe burials, and community engagement. As of now, over 10,444 cases and a 50% fatality rate have been confirmed in the DRC.