Fast-tracked Ebola vaccine on the way for Africa

Five African countries are set to receive a promising vaccine to protect communities against the Ebola virus in a fast-tracked process that bypasses additional clinical trials.

The World Health Organization said the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DR Congo, Burundi, Ghana and Zambia had approved the vaccine last week to become the first to license the vaccine, known as Ervebo. Guinea doing so early this week.

It is expected that several other countries will follow their lead in the coming weeks.

Fatal outbreaks of the Ebola virus have struck in parts of Central and West Africa over recent decades, and an outbreak in the DR Congo is of particular concern given that it in a conflict zone.

"The licensing of the vaccine means that the manufacturer can stockpile and widely distribute this vaccine to African countries at risk of Ebola virus disease outbreaks," the WHO said in a statement on Feb 15. "Once licensed doses are available, use of the vaccine will not require clinical trial or other research protocols."

Due to the urgent need for an Ebola vaccine, the WHO accelerated the licensing and rollout of Ervebo by certifying that it met the organization's standards for quality, safety and efficacy. It has been described as the fastest vaccine prequalification process ever undertaken. Prequalification refers to processes that normally precede the checks by national governments.

High efficacy

The WHO said Ervebo, which is injected, has shown a 97.5 percent rating on vaccine efficacy. Data also suggest that vaccinating people who are already infected reduces their chances of dying.

"It's not a treatment; it's a vaccination but it does have an effect on the course of the disease even if you're already exposed," said Margaret Harris, a spokeswoman for WHO.

In November 2019, the WHO declared that Ervebo met all its key standards in a critical step that helped speed up its licensing. This prequalification made it possible for African countries to start their own regulatory processes.

More than 290,000 people in the DR Congo as well as some in Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi have been vaccinated under compassionate use protocols.

The WHO said, as of Feb 17, the DR Congo has 3,310 confirmed cases of Ebola infection, with a further 123 classified as probable cases. Since the current outbreak started, 2,249 have died, with 1,167 survivors recorded.