UK begins trials of Ebola vaccine developed in just eight weeks
The UK has authorized clinical trials for a new Ebola vaccine developed by the University of Oxford in just eight weeks. The trial will involve 50 healthy volunteers to test the vaccine's efficacy against the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Why it matters
Rapid vaccine development is critical for containing outbreaks in conflict zones where mobile populations make disease control difficult.
Image source, BBC/Trevor Lloyd Image caption, Researcher Alex Sampson holds the experimental Ebola vaccine
Health and science correspondent Published 15 minutes ago A new vaccine to tackle Ebola will now be tested on people after the UK regulator gave permission for trials to take place.
Scientists at the University of Oxford started developing the vaccine eight weeks ago when a public health emergency was declared on 17 May.
It is the first - out of four vaccines under development - to enter clinical trials.
Volunteers are being recruited, with the first doses expected to be given to healthy adults in the UK "within weeks".
The Ebola epidemic, centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 625 people with 1,792 laboratory confirmed cases.
It is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has started two outbreaks before.
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