A study by the Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp (ITM) and the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, launching in October 2024, “seeks to answer key questions” about Ebola vaccinations. EBO-BOOST will address three key questions:
- When is the best time for a booster vaccination?
- Is it both safe and more efficacious to administer a booster vaccine after the initial one?
- Why do some people respond worse to vaccines than others?
EBO-BOOST
ITM states that Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) “remains a significant deadly threat” with “severe societal implications”. Although there are two approved vaccines for Ebola prevention, the duration of their protection “remains uncertain”. With periodic outbreaks in West and Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), there is a need for revaccination.
The study aims to:
- Facilitate the rapid deployment of vaccines during outbreaks
- Determine the efficacy and safety of combinations for booster shots and establishing clear guidelines for revaccination protocols
- Investigate factors for why certain individuals do not respond well to vaccines
- Strengthen local capacity for future epidemics through facilitating in-country testing infrastructure
Funded by CEPI, MSD, and the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD), the study is to begin in October this year, involving 624 participants from Kinshasa and Goma. Participants will be administered a booster dose of one of two vaccines. They will be monitored to assess immune responses through blood and saliva samples for 6 months. ITM is also to train local laboratory technicians and supply the necessary laboratory equipment to “empower INRB to independently perform all tests, aiding local governments in rapid outbreak response”.
Professor Wim Adriaensen, principal investigator of the study and Head of the Unit of Clinical Immunology at ITM, emphasised the importance of this research.
“Almost yearly Ebola outbreaks and the uncertainties concerning the long-term protection of vaccines underscore the need for booster vaccinations. Safely combining different vaccines could save lives in areas with scarce or unpredictable vaccine supplies, could allow us to intervene more quickly with outbreaks and protect high-risk groups, like healthcare workers who are regularly exposed to the virus.”
Professor Hugo Kavunga Membo, principal investigator at INRB, hopes to establish clear revaccination guidelines after this three-year study.
“We want to identify who, how, and when best to revaccinate. Moreover, our objective is to facilitate all testing within the DRC to avoid delays from time-intensive sample transport abroad in future epidemics.”
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