Ebola vaccine trial begins in DR Congo as outbreak continues
A major clinical trial for Ebola vaccines has launched in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to combat the Bundibugyo virus strain. The 'Tumaini' trial aims to test the efficacy of multiple vaccine candidates in a region currently facing a severe outbreak.
Why it matters
Developing an effective vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain is critical to curbing a deadly outbreak that has already claimed thousands of lives.
A major clinical trial to evaluate vaccines against the Bundibugyo Ebola virus began Friday in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with the first participants vaccinated as the country battles the largest recorded outbreak of the virus.
The Phase 2/3 trial, known as Tumaini, was launched in Bunia, the capital of the hardest-hit Ituri Province, said the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, which is funding and supporting the study.
READ: WHO urges coordinated action as Ebola poses regional threat in Africa
The trial comes amid a worsening Ebola crisis that has claimed more than 4,600 lives in the DRC since May. Despite the scale of the outbreak, no vaccine has yet been approved specifically against the Bundibugyo virus.
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