Human trials of new Ebola vaccine set to begin in UK

A new vaccine to combat a strain of Ebola spreading across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will soon be tested on adults in the UK, under plans announced today.

Scientists at the University of Oxford have been working to develop a jab to protect against the Bundibugyo type of Ebola and now plan to assess its safety and immune response in 50 healthy adults aged 18 to 55.

Volunteers are now being recruited for the trial, and the vaccinations will begin in the coming weeks pending regulatory approval.

The project started when the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended prioritising the development of an Ebola vaccine, shortly after the outbreak was declared on 17 May.

Some 620,000 doses of the vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 BDBV, has been stockpiled for potential future use, and 4,000 investigational doses have been supplied for the Oxford trail.

The vaccine uses the same viral vector as the as the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, meaning it could be developed speedily.

Professor Teresa Lambe, the study's lead scientific investigator, said: "The ongoing Bundibugyo ebolavirus outbreak continues to devastate affected communities, underlining the urgent need for effective vaccines and treatments.

"Our team has worked tirelessly with global partners to develop a candidate ChAdOx BDBV vaccine, demonstrating how collaborative partnerships can enable rapid response in the face of rapidly evolving outbreaks.

"This milestone comes after only 57 days since the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern."

The number of Ebola cases has continued to grow, with 1,926 cases including 702 deaths being confirmed in the DRC on Monday.

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Meanwhile a US citizen who was working for a humanitarian organisation in the DRC was admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany on Monday, after contracting the Bundibugyo variant.

A senior WHO official has warned the true scale of the outbreak could be two to four times larger than official data suggest, underscoring the challenges faced by health workers.

Dr Nicole Lurie, an executive director at the global Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), said: "The deadly Bundibugyo epidemic is already the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record, and infection numbers are continuing to rise.

"The University of Oxford's work to progress their Bundibugyo vaccine candidate ready to enter Phase I trials in a matter of weeks is a pivotal milestone in the response effort.

"Every step that brings a safe and effective vaccine closer helps strengthen our ability to protect vulnerable communities, save lives and bring this outbreak under control."

(c) Sky News 2026: Human trials of new Ebola vaccine set to begin in UK