Oxford Scientists Unveil Novel Ebola Vaccine

Oxford Develops New Ebola Vaccine for Bundibugyo Strain

Scientists at Oxford University in the United Kingdom are developing a new vaccine for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months. This development addresses an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) that has resulted in 750 suspected cases and 177 deaths. The World Health Organization (WHO) has upgraded the risk level for this outbreak from "high" to "very high" within the DRC.

The vaccine utilizes the ChAdOx1 platform, a highly adaptable technology previously used for COVID-19 vaccine development. This platform employs a genetically engineered common cold virus from chimpanzees to deliver genetic material from the Bundibugyo Ebola virus, training the immune system to recognize and combat the disease. Animal testing is currently underway in Oxford, with the Serum Institute of India prepared for mass production once medical-grade materials are supplied.

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which kills approximately one-third of those infected, has no proven vaccine. Previous outbreaks of this strain occurred in Uganda in 2007 and the DRC in 2012. While a vaccine exists for the more common Zaire species of Ebola, this new development targets a rare strain for which current preventative measures are limited. The vaccine would likely be deployed using a ring vaccination strategy, targeting individuals at highest risk of infection.