A volunteer has received the first dose of a newly developed vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus as researchers intensify efforts to contain the deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the University of Oxford announced on Friday.
The first participant, a 37-year-old volunteer identified as Ed Hunt, was vaccinated in Oxford as part of a Phase 1 clinical trial designed to evaluate the safety and immune response of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Ebola outbreak, which began in May, has infected nearly 3,000 people and claimed more than 1,270 lives across the DRC and neighbouring Uganda.
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The ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine, developed by Oxford University’s Pandemic Sciences Institute, uses the same vaccine platform as the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
David Pulido-Gomez of Oxford’s Pandemic Sciences Institute described the development as a major scientific milestone, noting that researchers moved the vaccine “from concept to clinic” within eight weeks through extensive global collaboration.
The trial is funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), while the Serum Institute of India has already produced a stockpile of 620,000 vaccine doses to support future deployment if the vaccine proves successful.
Oxford University said researchers are recruiting additional volunteers and are preparing to expand clinical studies to Uganda, subject to regulatory approval.
The Bundibugyo strain remains one of the few Ebola virus variants without an approved vaccine or treatment. Several other vaccine candidates and two potential therapies are also under development.
The current outbreak is the 17th recorded Ebola outbreak in the DRC and the third linked to the Bundibugyo strain. It has remained largely concentrated in the country’s mineral-rich but conflict-affected northeastern region, although cases have also been confirmed in four other provinces.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the outbreak continues to outpace response efforts due to insecurity and limited access to affected communities, adding that the actual number of infections could be significantly higher than officially reported.
Ebola is a severe viral disease transmitted through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and contaminated materials. Early detection, isolation of cases and vaccination are considered critical to controlling its spread.
