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Moderna begins first Ebola variant vaccine trials in Canada and UK
🇩🇰 Denmark /Health & Science

Moderna begins first Ebola variant vaccine trials in Canada and UK

From DR Nyheder · () Danish

Translated from Danish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Moderna has received approval to begin the first clinical trials for a vaccine against the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola.
  • The vaccine uses mRNA technology, similar to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, and is undergoing Phase 1 trials in the UK and Canada to assess safety.
  • The Bundibugyo variant has caused over 1,700 deaths in DR Congo, prompting the WHO to call for increased support to combat the rapidly spreading outbreak.

Moderna has received authorization to commence the initial clinical trials for a vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo variant of Ebola, a strain currently spreading rapidly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This marks a significant step in addressing a rare and deadly variant for which no approved vaccine or treatment currently exists.

Canada has joined the United Kingdom in approving Phase 1 trials for the vaccine, which is built upon the same mRNA technology that Moderna successfully employed for its COVID-19 vaccine. The primary objective of these trials is to evaluate the safety of the vaccine.

The World Health Organization has urgently called for enhanced support to combat the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo. Declared less than three months ago, this is the 17th registered Ebola outbreak in the country and has already claimed over 1,700 lives. The speed at which the virus is spreading is outpacing containment efforts, highlighting the critical need for swift and robust international assistance.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by DR Nyheder in Danish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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