The World Health Organisation (WHO) Technical Advisory Group has recommended that the Ervebo vaccine be prioritised for a randomised clinical trial against Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The recommendation is contained in a statement issued on Friday.

According to the statement, the recommendation followed new preliminary animal-study data indicating that Ervebo can provide some cross-protection against Bundibugyo virus disease, particularly in reducing deaths.

It said that the advisory group made the recommendation after reviewing available evidence on the vaccine’s safety, efficacy, availability and feasibility during its third meeting on July 31.

The statement said that WHO convened advisory groups after declaring a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on May 16 over the Bundibugyo virus outbreak.

“Initially, the group advised against using Ervebo outside carefully designed research settings because its effectiveness against Bundibugyo virus disease remained uncertain.

“Ervebo is currently the only licensed Ebola vaccine, but it was developed specifically against Ebola virus disease caused by Ebola Zaire virus,” it said.

The WHO noted that the experts said there were no identified safety concerns with Ervebo for use among contacts of confirmed cases during a Bundibugyo virus disease outbreak.

The group, however, stressed that Ervebo’s effectiveness against Bundibugyo disease and transmission had not yet been established and required evaluation through clinical research.

According to it, a vaccine specifically developed against Bundibugyo virus would remain the preferred option, although preliminary data on such candidates were currently unavailable.

It said that the advisory group also emphasised the need to facilitate large-scale vaccine production and access if future evidence demonstrated sufficient efficacy to protect affected populations. 

(NAN)