First Human Gets Oxford Ebola Vaccine Targeting Bundibugyo Strain
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- Ed Hunt, a 37-year-old UK man, became the first person in the world to receive the experimental Oxford Ebola vaccine after missing the chance to volunteer for the Covid trial due to work commitments.
- The University of Oxford team developed the vaccine in just eight weeks using the same technology as the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, building on decades of prior research led by Prof Teresa Lambe.
- Hunt is the first of 50 healthy volunteers aged 18-55 in the Phase 1 trial, which will assess safety and immune response against the Bundibugyo species of Ebola; volunteers cannot contract Ebola from the shot.
- Four vaccines are in development against the Bundibugyo species, but Oxford's is the first to enter human trials; an existing licensed vaccine targets the Zaire species but does not protect against Bundibugyo.
- The Serum Institute of India has already manufactured 600,000 doses of the Oxford vaccine, ready to be deployed if the trials prove successful.
- A second small Oxford Ebola vaccine trial is due to begin soon in Uganda, followed by a larger efficacy study in DR Congo, where the Bundibugyo outbreak has caused over 2,500 confirmed cases and just over 1,000 deaths.
Why it matters: The Bundibugyo strain has killed over 1,000 people in DR Congo with no existing vaccine, and Oxford's eight-week development timeline — leveraging the proven Oxford AstraZeneca Covid platform — means a deployable tool could emerge fast, especially since the Serum Institute of India has already produced 600,000 doses awaiting trial results.
