Ebola vaccine: Oxford University scientists working to tackle outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo

A British based group of scientists are working on an Ebola vaccine to help tackle the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) outbreak. Oxford University scientists - the Oxford Vaccine Group (OVG) - is using the same technology that underpinned the Covid-19 jab.

Research into the specific strain of Ebola virus in the current outbreak, known as Bundibugyo, is underway. The rare species of Ebola that is currently spreading in the DRC has no proven vaccine and kills 30-50% of those infected.

Bundibugyo has only caused two previous outbreaks, in Uganda in 2007 and then in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2012, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said. Professor Teresa Lambe, Calleva head of vaccine immunology at the OVG, said: “My hope is that this outbreak can be brought under control quickly and that vaccines are ultimately not needed.

“Nevertheless, our team and partners will continue working to ensure that potential vaccine options are available if they are needed. The ability to move rapidly in situations like this has been built on many years of vaccine research and close collaboration with our global partners.”

The OVG previously tested Ebola vaccines in response to the 2013-2016 West Africa outbreak, which contributed to a different Ebola vaccine being approved by the European Medicines Agency in 2020.

The WHO declared declared the situation in the DRC “very high” risk on Friday (May 22), as the virus is “spreading rapidly” in the country. WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had assessed the risk within the Democratic Republic of the Congo as “very high”.

The WHO chief told reporters that 82 cases have been confirmed in the country, with almost 750 suspected cases. He said there have been seven confirmed and 177 suspected deaths.

In the wider region the risk is now considered to be high but it remains low internationally, according to the WHO. Earlier on Friday, the United Nations released 60 million dollars (£44.7 million) from its Central Emergency Response Fund to accelerate the response in the region.

The US pledged 23 million dollars (£17 million) to bolster the response and said it would fund up to 50 Ebola treatment clinics in the affected regions. Ugandan authorities said they were not aware of any treatment centres being set up by the US.