Two scientists on their race to make a new Ebola vaccine |
As health workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continue to battle an ongoing Ebola outbreak, scientists around the world are racing to develop a vaccine against the strain of the virus that’s causing it.
Two approved vaccines exist for Ebola, but they target the Zaire strain of the virus, not the Bundibugyo strain causing the 2026 outbreak – which has so far killed 61 people, with 359 confirmed cases in the DRC and neighbouring Uganda.
The outbreak is centred in the Ituri province of northeastern DRC, where conflict, displaced people, a large migrant community and poorly resourced health facilities make stopping the spread particularly challenging.
In this episode of The Conversation Weekly podcast,........