A novel Ebola vaccine has been tested on humans by an Oxford University research team.
The jab – currently known as ChAdOx1 biEBOV – uses the same technology as the breakthrough coronavirus shot.
This product was created to combat the Zaire-Sudan strains of Ebola. These are the most deadly and common types.
This trial will involve 26 participants aged between 18 and 55 receiving the jab. They will be monitored in Oxford for six months. The trial in Tanzania will continue until the end.
The first patients will be vaccinated starting this morning. Results are expected by the end of 2022.
In phase 1, the safety, side effects and best dose of the new jab will be tested. The jab’s performance against Ebola will be evaluated in subsequent trials.
There are other Ebola vaccines that use the Zaire species. However, Oxford researchers believe the new one will be more effective.

Oxford University researchers have begun human trials for a vaccine that they believe will prevent the spread of Ebola. Ebola can cause death in as many as 90% of its victims. The last outbreak killed over 11,000 people.
The four Ebola viruses have caused disease in human beings.
These include the Zaire, which is lethal and causes death in 75% to 90% of cases.
Zaire is the cause of most epidemics. This includes the West Africa and East African outbreaks of 2014 and 2016, and the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2018, where over 32,000 people became infected and 13600 were killed.
This vaccine uses the ChAdOx1 viral, which is a weaker version of the chimpanzee common virus. It has been genetically altered so it cannot reproduce in humans.
It has been successfully used in the Oxford AstraZeneca COvid vaccine.
Teresa Lambe, associate professor at the Jenner Institute and lead scientific investigator at the University of Oxford, said: ‘Sporadic Ebolavirus outbreaks still occur in affected countries, putting the lives of individuals – especially frontline health workers – at risk. This disease is a serious threat to human health and we need better vaccines.
Principal investigator at the Jenner Institute Dr Daniel Jenkin said that vaccines have been approved for the Ebola virus.
“However this can also be caused from several types of viruses, so each one may need a specific immune response in order to provide protection.”
“We developed our vaccine specifically to attack the Ebolavirus viruses that are responsible for nearly all deaths from Ebolavirus epidemics. Now we look forward to conducting Phase I clinical trials.
Online registration is possible for volunteers who are interested in the course.
The vaccine will be tested in Tanzania again by the end the year.
Ebola claimed the lives of at least 111,000 people worldwide in its last severe outbreak. It decimated West Africa between 2014 and 2016.
Ebola is spread from wild animals like bats, monkeys, and porcupines to humans. It then spreads among people through contact with bodily fluids or materials, including clothing and bedding.
Ervebo, a current vaccine that protects against Ebola Zaire has been proven to be very effective.
Another vaccine called Zabdeno-and-Mvabea was approved for use in May 2020 and consists of two doses delivered eight weeks apart.
Ebola is a continuing epidemic in Democratic Republic of Congo. It began October 8th.
Oxford University is in a unique position to make an Ebola vaccine. They began their research on developing rapid vaccines following the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic.
Researchers from Oxford University were hailed as heroes in December last year for helping to vaccinate the world against Covid after developing a jab that only cost £2 to produce.
Following the discovery of a small chance that blood-clots could develop, it was restricted later to over-40s only in the UK.
In the UN’s COVAX vaccination global vaccine sharing programme, Britain donated 30.6 million doses (or more) of Oxford-AstraZeneca to developing countries. It also has plans for 20million additional donations.