WHO Says Ebola Vaccine Could Take 9 Months to Deploy as Deaths Surge Past 140
WHO says an Ebola vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain could take nine months to deploy, as deaths surge past 140 cases primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The World Health Organization announced that a vaccine against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus could take up to nine months before becoming operational. WHO advisor Dr. Vusi Murthi said on May 20 that two candidate vaccines are under development to combat the Bundibugyo Ebola strain, but none have yet passed clinical trials.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reported 600 suspected Ebola cases with suspected deaths rising to 139, though numbers are expected to increase given the time required for virus detection. He noted at least 51 confirmed cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 2 additional cases in Uganda.
On May 17, the WHO declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern regarding the latest Ebola outbreak, though it stopped short of declaring it a pandemic emergency. The WHO's emergency committee agreed the situation does not constitute a pandemic-level emergency. "The WHO assesses the risk of spread as high at the national and regional levels, and low at the global level," Ghebreyesus clarified.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom government announced it would allocate up to 20 million pounds, approximately 876 million baht, to help control the outbreak. These funds will support frontline medical personnel, improve infection control measures, and strengthen disease surveillance.
WHO officials stated they are investigating how long the virus has been circulating, but the immediate priority is containing the outbreak. The first known case involved a nurse who became ill and died on April 24 in Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province. Her body was returned to Mongwalu, one of two gold mining towns where most cases have been reported.
