Lead

A volunteer was injected on Friday with the first dose of a rapidly developed vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola driving a deadly outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Oxford University said. The trial, which uses the same technology as AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, marks a significant step in responding to an outbreak that has killed more than 1,000 people in the DRC and Uganda, according to the World Health Organization. The first dose was administered to a 37-year-old volunteer named Ed Hunt in Oxford, a university spokesman told AFP.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the development varied in emphasis and detail. Africa News and the South China Morning Post focused on the vaccine trial and its implications for the Bundibugyo strain, with the South China Morning Post noting that the trial is for the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine. Deutsche Welle, by contrast, highlighted the speed and scale of the outbreak, emphasizing that it is spreading faster than any past outbreak on record and that the Africa CDC plans to use an existing vaccine for the Zaire strain as a response. These differing angles reflect the multifaceted nature of the crisis: while the trial offers hope for a targeted treatment, the outbreak's rapid spread poses immediate challenges.

Key Claims

The development of the vaccine: Oxford University said the first dose was administered on Friday, with the trial aiming to assess the safety and effectiveness of the ChAdOx1 BDBV vaccine in 50 healthy adults. The vaccine, which uses the same technology as AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine, was developed from concept to clinic in just eight weeks, according to David Pulido-Gomez of Oxford's Pandemic Sciences Institute. The trial received funding from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the Serum Institute of India has manufactured a stockpile of 620,000 doses.

The outbreak's toll: Africa News reported that more than 1,270 people have been killed out of nearly 3,000 infections in the DRC and Uganda since the outbreak emerged in May, citing World Health Organization figures. The South China Morning Post put the death toll at more than 1,000, also citing the WHO. The outbreak is the 17th in the DRC's history, but only the third caused by the Bundibugyo strain, as reported by Africa News. Deutsche Welle reported that the outbreak was declared in mid-May and is already the second-largest on record, with authorities estimating 4,000 confirmed cases and 1,801 deaths, based on data as of Tuesday.

The speed of spread: Deutsche Welle reported that the current outbreak is spreading at a rate six to eight times faster than any past outbreak on record, citing Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya. Kaseya also said that the virus is causing deaths six times faster than the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak. The Africa CDC and the World Health Organization plan to launch research to check for possible mutations or other abnormalities in the current outbreak.

Response efforts: Deutsche Welle reported that the Africa CDC plans to start dispensing an existing Ebola vaccine for the Zaire strain, which has shown evidence of eliminating deaths in test cases, according to Kaseya. The outbreak is centered in eastern DRC, and medics are noting an unusually high rate of infection. There are also over 300 people on a river boat being screened for Ebola-like symptoms, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The warnings come amid strikes and protests by medical staff in the hardest-hit regions over pay and conditions.

Perspectives

The African Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) view the outbreak as an urgent threat, with Director General Jean Kaseya emphasizing the rapid spread and the need for immediate action, including using an existing Zaire strain vaccine and conducting research into possible mutations. Oxford University, on the other hand, highlights the successful development of a targeted vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain, with researcher David Pulido-Gomez calling the rapid progress "an extraordinary collaborative effort."