Geneva, Aug 8 (SANA)The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended prioritizingErvebo, the only licensed vaccine againstEbola, for inclusion in a randomized clinical trial as part of efforts to respond to an outbreak of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In a statement on Friday, the WHO said preliminary data from animal studies showed that the vaccine could provide cross-protection, but its effectiveness against the Ebola virus has yet to be established.

The organization said using the vaccine to immunize contacts of infected people did not raise safety concerns, while noting that developing a vaccine specifically targeting the virus remains the preferred long-term option.

The WHO warned on Wednesday that Ebola was spreading rapidly in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, saying the pace of the outbreak had begun to outstrip current response efforts. The death toll has risen to more than 1,800.kA.MZN