Could science be racing against time to stop the next major Ebola crisis?
With a fast-growing outbreak already claiming nearly 250 lives.
Researchers are urgently developing three new vaccines aimed at a rare and particularly challenging strain of the deadly virus.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, has infected more than 1,000 suspected cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With confirmed cases now appearing in neighbouring Uganda.
Health experts fear it could rival—or even surpass—the devastating West African epidemic of 2014-16.
The challenge is simple but serious: existing Ebola vaccines do not work against every strain.
While vaccines exist for the more common Zaire species, Bundibugyo currently has no approved protection.
Vaccine Race Accelerates
Now, three major teams are stepping in. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and the University of Oxford are developing their own vaccine candidates.
Biotechnology giant Moderna is also developing its own vaccine candidate. Using different technologies.
Some rely on harmless modified viruses, while others use mRNA technology made famous during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr. Mark Feinberg of IAVI warned the outbreak is “threatening to be as severe” as previous historic epidemics.
Meanwhile, CEPI chief Dr. Richard Hatchett stressed that “every day counts.”
The goal is clear: train the immune system before the virus strikes.
Whether these vaccines arrive in time remains uncertain—but in the battle against Ebola, speed may prove just as important as science.
