OMM Newsroom
The first four participants in a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been vaccinated as researchers assess whether an existing Ebola vaccine can reduce severe illness and deaths caused by the Bundibugyo virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Tuesday, according to Anadolu Agency.
WHO Director of Science for Health Meg Doherty told reporters in Geneva that the trial, called “TUMAINI” — meaning “hope” in Swahili — began Friday.
The first vaccine under evaluation is “Ervebo”, which is known to be safe and effective against Ebola caused by the Zaire virus. Its effectiveness against Bundibugyo virus disease is not yet known.
Doherty said the trial is examining whether the vaccine reduces severe illness or death, not whether it prevents infection.
The study uses a ring-vaccination approach, involving people who have had close contact with confirmed Ebola patients or have otherwise been exposed to the virus. Two vaccination rings have been established, with several more being prepared.
Eligible participants may be vaccinated from one to 21 days after exposure. Researchers do not yet know whether the timing affects outcomes.
“We do not yet know for certain when results will begin to emerge. We expect it will take several months,” Doherty said.
The trial is led by Congolese researchers and managed by the country’s National Institute for Biomedical Research, with support from WHO and international partners. Designed as a platform trial, TUMAINI can assess multiple vaccine candidates within a single research framework.
WHO advisory groups also reviewed two vaccines developed specifically against the Bundibugyo virus last week: “ChAdOx1”, developed by the University of Oxford with the “Serum Institute of India”, and “mRNA-1469”, developed by “Moderna”. Recommendations on the vaccines are expected this week, Doherty said.
She said community members were already approaching the trial site to seek enrollment, underscoring the need for an effective vaccine.
The trial builds on the ring-vaccination strategy used during the West African Ebola outbreak a decade ago, which helped establish “Ervebo”’s effectiveness against the Zaire virus.
