'Tumaini' Ebola vaccine trial starts as Kenya seeks 10,000 doses

 

WHO DG Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the first participants were vaccinated in Bunia, DRC, under a new trial dubbed TUMAINI, a Swahili word meaning 'hope'. [Getty Images]

A new Ebola vaccine trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has raised hopes of finding protection against the Bundibugyo virus, as Kenya seeks 10,000 vaccine doses for healthcare workers and other frontline responders.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the first participants were vaccinated in Bunia, DRC, under a new trial dubbed TUMAINI, a Swahili word meaning “hope”.

“There is currently no approved vaccine against the Bundibugyo virus causing the outbreak,” Tedros said, adding that the trial would assess whether vaccine candidates developed against the virus could work.

The WHO is supporting the DRC-led initiative to generate evidence that could help save lives.

Meanwhile, Kenya has requested 10,000 doses of Ebola vaccine through the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and WHO, targeting healthcare workers at the frontline of the outbreak response, according to Director-General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth.

The existing Ervebo vaccine, which is licensed to prevent disease caused by the Zaire ebolavirus, will also be tested as part of the DRC effort. However, there is no approved vaccine specifically for the Bundibugyo virus, and the effectiveness of existing vaccine candidates against it remains uncertain.

The ‘TUMAINI’ trial is therefore expected to provide crucial scientific evidence as health authorities work to contain the outbreak and protect those at greatest risk.

While the trial offers hope, its findings will be important in determining whether any of the candidate vaccines can provide protection against Bundibugyo virus disease.