Three Ebola vaccines in development as Congo outbreak spreads
Three new vaccines are currently under development to combat the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has already caused nearly 250 deaths in the ongoing outbreak.
The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), one of the groups leading the research, has warned that the current outbreak could become the most severe ever recorded.
The University of Oxford and pharmaceutical company Moderna are also developing vaccine candidates targeting the same Ebola strain.
Funding support is being provided by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which has stressed that rapid action is critical.
Health officials report more than 1,000 suspected Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with additional confirmed infections in neighbouring Uganda.
Experts warn that the outbreak, first detected in a conflict-affected region with limited healthcare access, could potentially reach the scale of the 2014–2016 West Africa epidemic, which infected nearly 29,000 people and killed more than 11,000.
IAVI director Dr Mark Feinberg said the situation may become as severe—or even worse—than previous major outbreaks, adding that vaccine development and other countermeasures are now urgent priorities.
Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières has also described the situation as deeply concerning, noting the unusually high number of cases recorded early in the outbreak.
Vaccine development efforts
Ebola vaccines are strain-specific, with six known variants of the virus, though only three typically cause large outbreaks. While a vaccine exists for the Zaire strain, the current outbreak is caused by the less common Bundibugyo strain, for which no approved vaccine is available.
IAVI is adapting an existing Zaire Ebola vaccine to target Bundibugyo. Early tests in animals showed strong immune response and near-complete protection in monkeys.
Researchers say early data is promising, though it may still take several months before clinical trials can begin, even as efforts are being made to speed up development.
Moderna is also applying its mRNA vaccine technology—previously used during the COVID-19 pandemic—to develop a Bundibugyo vaccine.
The company says it is working urgently but carefully to bring a potential vaccine closer to affected communities.
Meanwhile, the University of Oxford has indicated that its Ebola vaccine candidate could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months.
How the vaccines work
Each vaccine approach aims to train the immune system to recognise the Bundibugyo virus’s surface protein, known as the glycoprotein, though they use different methods.
IAVI’s approach uses a harmless engineered virus that carries the Ebola protein, prompting the immune system to respond and build protection.
The mRNA and Oxford vaccines instead use genetic instructions that prompt the body to produce the viral protein internally, triggering an immune response.
All methods are designed to give the immune system a head start against real infection, though their effectiveness and dosage requirements must still be tested in human trials.
CEPI has emphasised that “every day counts” in accelerating development as the outbreak spreads.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a successful vaccine could help control the current outbreak while also improving preparedness for future epidemics.
Source: BBC
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