Scientists at Oxford University say they are racing to develop an experimental vaccine against the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues to worsen.
The epidemic has already led to around 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths, with the World Health Organization (WHO) now classifying the risk inside DR Congo as “very high”.
Researchers hope the vaccine could be ready for early clinical trials within two to three months, although experts caution there is no guarantee it will work.
The Oxford team is using the same ChAdOx1 technology that helped create the Covid-19 vaccine. The platform has been adapted to target the Bundibugyo species of Ebola by inserting genetic material from the virus into a harmless modified chimpanzee cold virus, training the immune system to recognise and fight infection.
Animal testing is already under way in Oxford, while the Serum Institute of India is expected to help mass produce doses if the vaccine proves successful.
Bundibugyo Ebola is especially difficult to combat because there is currently no approved vaccine or targeted treatment. The strain has only caused two previous outbreaks — in Uganda in 2007 and DR Congo in 2012 — and kills roughly one-third of those infected.
Health officials say the vaccine would likely be used through “ring vaccination”, targeting close contacts of infected patients and frontline healthcare workers rather than the wider population.
