As Ebola epidemic rages, Congo bets on high-stakes ‘hope’ vaccine trial Study will first test a “mismatched” vaccine, but Bundibugyo-specific shots may be added as early as next month 20 Oct 20264:45 PM ETByKai Kupferschmidt

https://www.science.org/content/article/ebola-epidemic-rages-congo-bets-high-stakes-hope-vaccine-trial?utm_source=Live+Audience&utm_campaign=99d3550b4b-nature-briefing-daily-20261022&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-33f35e09ea-50432164 A phase II/III trial of a vaccine against Ebola could see its first doses administered as soon as this week in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where there have been more than 9,500 known cases and more than 4,600 deaths, reports Science. The trial, named Tumaini — Swahili for “hope” — will first use a vaccine called Ervebo that targets a ‘mismatched’ ebolavirus species, ‘Zaire’ — the outbreak in DRC involves the Bundibugyo species. The goal is to add vaccine candidates developed specifically to target Bundibugyo — such as ChAdOx1, developed by a University of Oxford group in the United Kingdom — after they graduate from phase I clinical trials.