The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched the first clinical trial for an Ebola vaccine as cases in the country continue to rise.
The trial, named Tumaini, meaning “hope” in Swahili, began on Friday in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, which is the epicentre of the outbreak.
WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus confirmed that the first participants were vaccinated with the Ervebo vaccine, which is approved for the Zaire strain but is being tested to see if it offers cross protection against the rare Bundibugyo strain behind the current outbreak.
According to the DRC health authorities, the outbreak declared in May is the worst in the country’s history, with over 9,700 confirmed cases and more than 4,600 deaths. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for Bundibugyo.
The Tumaini trial, coordinated by CEPI and supported by the WHO and the Congolese Health Ministry, will use a ring vaccination approach targeting contacts of confirmed cases.
Two additional Bundibugyo-specific vaccines, one developed by Moderna and another by Oxford University with the Serum Institute of India, are expected to join the trial in the coming weeks.
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