Oxford University to Test New Ebola Virus Vaccine

The University of Oxford plans to test a new vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus, as the virus continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

University scientists have rapidly developed a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, and they will now assess its safety and ability to stimulate an immune response in 50 healthy volunteers in the United Kingdom aged between 18 and 55, according to the British news agency PA Media.

To support the “acceleration of the study launch and transfer of the experimental vaccine to the clinical evaluation phase,” a stockpile of approximately 620,000 doses of the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine has been assembled for potential future use.

Researchers are also working with partners in Uganda to prepare for trials in Africa.

Volunteers will be followed up for one year, but scientists expect to know quickly whether the vaccine can provide good protection to individuals in a short time.

The new vaccine uses the same technology as the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, meaning it can be developed within weeks.