First Volunteer Receives Ebola Trial Vaccine In DRC

The first participant has been vaccinated in a clinical trial to assess vaccine candidates against the Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where health authorities are battling the largest recorded outbreak of the Ebola strain.

The trial, known as Tumaini, meaning “hope” in Swahili, began on Friday in Bunia, with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the DRC Ministry of Health and other partners.

The study will assess the safety and effectiveness of candidate vaccines among contacts of confirmed cases and others at high risk of infection. No vaccine has been approved specifically for protection against the Bundibugyo strain.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof. Mohamed Janabi, announced the development of his X handle on Friday, describing the trial as an important milestone in the response to the outbreak and efforts to strengthen preparedness for future epidemics.

Janabi said the study would generate scientific evidence on the performance of the candidate vaccines, with the research guided by scientific rigour, transparency, ethical principles, informed consent and community engagement.

THE WHISTLER had reported that preparations were underway for the Phase 2/3 trial, which would assess existing and experimental vaccines against the Bundibugyo virus, subject to ethical and regulatory approvals.

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The earlier report noted that Ervebo, a vaccine licensed against the Zaire strain of Ebola, was expected to be prioritised for evaluation, although its ability to protect against the Bundibugyo strain has not been established.

Unlike the Zaire strain, which has an approved vaccine, Bundibugyo has no licensed vaccine specifically approved for its prevention. The trial will assess whether the candidate vaccines can offer protection against the strain responsible for the current outbreak.

Tumaini will use an adaptive platform design, allowing researchers to evaluate multiple vaccine candidates within a single trial framework. It will also adopt a ring vaccination approach, targeting contacts of infected people and others at high risk of exposure.

Two vaccine candidates developed specifically against the Bundibugyo virus are also in early-stage trials. They are being developed by Moderna and by the University of Oxford in collaboration with the Serum Institute of India. Both are expected to enter the Tumaini study as they become available.

The Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale and the University of Antwerp’s Global Health Institute are co-leading and co-sponsoring the trial, while the DRC Ministry of Health is responsible for national leadership and oversight.

WHO is providing scientific and technical guidance, while CEPI is supporting the study with funding and expertise. Other partners include the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Médecins Sans Frontières and the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp.

The trial is expected to establish whether the candidate vaccines can safely and effectively protect people at risk of infection.

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