Vaccine for new Ebola strain could be ready in months – what to know

• Scientists at Oxford University are urgently developing a vaccine for a new strain of Ebola , the Bundibugyo strain, which is currently causing an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
• The vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 BDBV, uses viral-vector technology, similar to that employed in Covid-19 immunisations, which allows for rapid adaptation to target different viruses.
• The World Health Organisation has elevated the risk of the Bundibugyo strain spreading from 'high' to 'very high', with 82 confirmed cases, seven confirmed deaths, and 177 suspected deaths reported in Congo.
• Animal testing for the vaccine is already in progress at Oxford, and the World Health Organisation indicates that it could be ready for clinical trials within two to three months.
• The UK government has committed up to £20 million via the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to support international efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

IN FULL

New Ebola strain vaccine could be ready within months, Oxford scientists say