The World Health Organization has approved clinical trials for two new Ebola vaccines as health authorities struggle to contain the largest outbreak in the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO expert groups recommended incorporating vaccine trials specifically designed to target the Bundibugyo strain, which has reportedly killed more than 5,300 people since May.

Public health agencies have faced persistent failures in containing the Bundibugyo virus, which carries a 50 percent fatality rate due to the lack of dedicated treatments. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus purportedly stated that previous trials utilized the Ervebo vaccine, which was only approved for the Zaire strain and remains unsuited for the current variant.

The newly trialed vaccines are allegedly designed specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, with results not anticipated until early 2027, according to the WHO. The trial is being led by the DRC’s National Institute for Biomedical Research and backed by the WHO, alongside developers from the University of Oxford, the Serum Institute of India, and Moderna.

The African Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed 10,444 cases of the virus, marking the fastest-growing outbreak in the region's history. Meanwhile, the British regime announced the evacuation of an infected healthcare worker from the DRC to the United Kingdom, attempting to downplay the ongoing risks despite the escalating cross-border spread.

Source: www.aljazeera.com