Two potential new vaccines against the Ebola virus are set to be tested in a clinical trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the recommendation of expert groups assembled by the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to a statement published on the WHO's official website, the vaccines are specifically designed to provide protection against the Bundibugyo virus, which is responsible for the current epidemic.
This development marks an important step, as for the first time vaccines developed specifically against this variant of the virus will be clinically tested during an active epidemic.
The clinical trial is underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where health authorities are grappling with the spread of the disease.
According to data from the Congolese Ministry of Health, the epidemic, which began in May, has so far caused 5,026 deaths, while over 10,350 people have been infected.
Testing new vaccines aims to help in the fight against the Bundibugyo virus and create new opportunities for preventing its spread.
