First Volunteer Vaccinated in World’s First Bundibugyo Ebola Vaccine Trial

Oxford University administered the first dose of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine to a healthy UK volunteer on 25 July 2026, marking the world's first Phase I clinical trial targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. Developed in just eight weeks using the ChAdOx1 viral vector platform, the BD-Ebov trial will enrol 50 adults and is funded by CEPI at $8.6 million. The trial comes as the DRC outbreak — the third caused by the Bundibugyo strain — has killed over 1,270 people from nearly 3,000 infections, with the WHO having declared a public health emergency of international concern in May 2026.

Claims

• ▪The DRC Bundibugyo outbreak is the third-largest Ebola outbreak on record
• ▪Existing Ebola vaccines may offer cross-protection against the Bundibugyo strain
• ▪Serum Institute of India manufactured 620,000 doses of ChAdOx1 BDBV within two weeks
• ▪No approved vaccine or treatment existed for Bundibugyo ebolavirus prior to this trial
• ▪ChAdOx1 BDBV was taken from concept to clinic in just eight weeks

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