UK starts first vaccine trial, eight weeks into Ebola emergency
The UK has initiated the first clinical trials for an experimental Ebola vaccine developed by the University of Oxford. The trial involves 50 healthy volunteers and aims to address the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Why it matters
Rapid vaccine development is critical for controlling outbreaks in conflict zones where traditional medical infrastructure is compromised.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google James Gallagher Health and science correspondent BBC/Trevor Lloyd Researcher Alex Sampson holds the experimental Ebola vaccine 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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