“The World Health Organization said on Wednesday there were encouraging signs measures to contain an Ebola epidemic in Democratic Republic ​of Congo were gaining ground, though it warned the outbreak ‌was ‘far from over.’

Transmission was declining in the most affected parts of Ituri province, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said…

More than 3,000 healthcare and frontline workers had already been vaccinated with Merck’s Ervebo, said Meg Doherty, WHO’s director of science, research, evidence and quality for health.

Ervebo is licensed against Zaire ebolavirus, but its ​effectiveness against the Bundibugyo ​virus driving ⁠the current outbreak is not known.

Doherty said an observational study involving frontline workers was expected to begin shortly to ​assess the vaccine’s effectiveness, while a separate mid-to-late-stage trial, led ​by Congo’s ⁠National Institute of Biomedical Research with other partners, was expected to get under way in the coming weeks.

Ervebo will be among the first vaccines evaluated for ⁠efficacy ​in the trial, followed by other vaccine ​candidates specifically targeting Bundibugyo Ebola, she said.”

From Reuters.