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WHO vaccine experts on Friday recommended a full-scale human trial of the only licensed Ebola vaccine to determine whether it can protect against the Bundibugyo strain currently spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo).
The Ervebo vaccine has already been shown to be safe and effective against the more common Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. However, early evidence, particularly from animal studies, suggests it could also provide some protection against the rarer Bundibugyo strain.
The recommendation came as confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo reached 4,053, including 1,850 deaths. WHO officials have repeatedly warned that the virus is spreading faster than response efforts can contain it.
The UN health agency’s Technical Advisory Group on Candidate Vaccine Prioritisation (TAG-CVP) for the Bundibugyo outbreak response met last week to assess new evidence that had emerged since its previous meeting in May, shortly after the outbreak was declared.
“The members recommended Ervebo, the only licensed Ebola vaccine, be prioritised for inclusion in a randomised clinical trial in the context of the ongoing outbreak,” WHO said in a statement.
The experts reviewed several studies, including one involving non-human primates. Three of four animals vaccinated with Ervebo survived infection with the Bundibugyo strain, compared with only one of four animals in the control group.
They also examined an unpublished ferret study in which a research-grade version of Ervebo provided 100 percent protection against Bundibugyo. All animals in the control group died within 10 days.
The TAG-CVP experts unanimously concluded that there were no safety concerns about testing Ervebo in a clinical study involving vaccination of people who had been in contact with Ebola patients. The vaccine has already been licensed by regulatory authorities and administered to hundreds of thousands of people in Africa.