UK Begins Human Trials of New Ebola Vaccine in Just 57 Days as Scientists Race to Stop Deadly Virus

Human trials of an experimental Ebola vaccine have begun in the UK just 57 days after development began, making it one of the fastest vaccine responses since the Covid-19 pandemic. Researchers at the University of Oxford say the rapid timeline was possible because they adapted the same ChAdOx1 platform that underpinned the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.

The vaccine was created in response to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is causing an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and neighbouring Uganda. Since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May, nearly 1,800 confirmed cases and at least 625 deaths have been reported. Existing Ebola vaccines target a different strain, leaving no approved vaccine against the virus responsible for the current outbreak.

Researchers are recruiting 50 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 55 in Oxford for the Phase 1 study, which will assess the vaccine's safety and immune response before larger trials are considered. It is the first of four Bundibugyo Ebola vaccine candidates currently in development to reach human testing.

Oxford Team Reaches Human Trial Milestone

Developed by the University of Oxford's Oxford Vaccine Group and Pandemic Sciences Institute, the vaccine received approval through the UK's fast-track research review process, allowing regulators and ethics committees to assess the application in parallel while maintaining standard safety requirements.

Vaccine researcher Alex Sampson said the accelerated timetable was achieved without skipping any of the usual scientific checks.

Professor Katrina Pollock, chief investigator of the trial at the Oxford Vaccine Group, said early-stage trials are designed to confirm vaccines are safe before progressing to larger studies. Participants will be monitored for a year, although researchers expect early indications of the vaccine's immune response within the first few weeks.

How the Vaccine Works

The vaccine uses Oxford's ChAdOx1 viral vector platform, the same technology used in the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. Rather than containing Ebola itself, it uses a harmless modified virus to deliver genetic instructions that help the immune system recognise a protein from the Bundibugyo virus.

The approach allows the body to build an immune response without causing infection, helping it react more quickly if exposed to the virus in the future.

Professor Pollock said the ChAdOx1 platform has already been used safely in millions of people through the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, although volunteers will still be informed of any potential risks before taking part.

Stockpile Already Prepared for Future Studies

The Serum Institute of India has already manufactured and stockpiled around 620,000 doses of the vaccine candidate, including 4,000 investigational doses for the UK trial. The programme is funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

If the trial confirms the vaccine is safe and produces a strong immune response, researchers hope to begin larger studies in Uganda alongside partners including the Medical Research Council and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

If the vaccine proves safe and effective, researchers hope to expand trials in Africa, bringing the first approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain a step closer while strengthening preparedness for future Ebola outbreaks.