Ebola: First people vaccinated in phase 2/3 Bundibugyo jab trial as health worker killed
AI Summary
A phase 2/3 trial of a vaccine candidate against Bundibugyo Ebola has begun enrolling participants in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The rollout comes amid an ongoing outbreak and heightened risks for responders, after an attack in Tshopo province killed a nurse and seriously injured another health worker.
People in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have started receiving a vaccine against Bundibugyo Ebola, the deadly strain of the virus that has killed thousands of people in the republic in recent months.The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) confirmed to The BMJ that multiple participants in Bunia, DRC, have enrolled in the phase 2/3 trial since 23 October. Mobile teams may also bring the vaccine candidate to other locations.Although this was potentially positive news in the ongoing outbreak, it came with a grim reminder that health on the frontline of the Ebola response continues to face major risks.Just a day after the trial began, it was confirmed that a nurse was killed and another health worker seriously injured when attacked while responding to an Ebola alert in Tshopo province, in the northeast of the DRC.The United Nations has condemned the attack and called for an investigation.UN senior...