Scientists at the University of Oxford say a new Ebola vaccine under development could enter clinical trials within months as efforts intensify to contain the growing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The vaccine is being developed to target the current outbreak, which has already claimed more than 170 lives and is linked to over 750 suspected cases.

Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, Professor Andrew Pollard said researchers are working at speed because of the scale and urgency of the crisis.

He noted that while public health measures remain critical to containing the outbreak, the situation has proven difficult to control, making the development of an effective vaccine a priority.

According to Pollard, researchers hope to have vaccines ready for deployment within the next one to two months should trials and regulatory processes proceed as planned.

The development comes as health authorities and humanitarian organisations warn of a high risk of further spread, particularly in eastern DRC, where insecurity and population movement continue to complicate response efforts.

If successful, the vaccine could provide an important new tool in efforts to contain one of the region’s most serious Ebola outbreaks in recent years.

–ChannelaAfrica–